Captive Audience
by Burning Ice
Summary: After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable . . . . Prison Guard. Zutara D/s ReverseCapture
1. Chapter 1: Trust Me

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: T (rating will go up)

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

**Note: **This fic runs under the assumption that the Gaang took Zuko prisoner when he offered himself up in the Western Air Temple.

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**Disclaimer:** Avatar is owned by Bryke and Nick. Not me. I know right? Wtf. I am not making any money on this, I do not claim these characters as my own, it's purely fan made.

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**Chapter 1:**

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He could hear them talking from where he sat on the stone, the doors were not that thin. He pressed his ear to it, and kept his eyes closed, listening to the unfolding argument. The new boy, Katara, and her brother were bickering loudly. The water bender, however was yelling the loudest of the three, and kept stomping her foot petulantly.

"Haru should do it!! He is a bender!!" She sounded flaming mad, she had sounded that way all afternoon. First she had threatened him when he knelt, and then hit him with a torrent of water. then the earth bender girl, Toph had talked them into at least keeping him prisoner and thinking about his offer of fire bending. To which Katara had yelled some more about how they couldn't trust him, and Toph yelled back that she shouldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of doing what's right for the majority. Zuko sensed the two girls butted heads often, and was grateful that a mustached older boy and a face painted younger one led him to the storeroom to wait.

"You all drew straws, You, Toph, and Haru You got the short end." Her brother was saying, trying to sound reasonable.

"I know, but, It's Zuko! He's a disgusting miserable excuse for a human being!"

"We all know how you feel, Katara."

"He said he was trying to change." It was the new boy talking again, "And he hasn't tried to escape . . . He hasn't fire bent, he hasn't even argued, I think he really wants to help."

"How long is this going to take, anyways?"

"The Duke and I are going into the jungle hunting because I guess we'll have to feed him, Teo, Toph and Haru will work on designing a cage, and Aang-"

"Aang get's _NOWHERE_ near him." He heard Katara hiss with such venom that he cringed.

"I know, you said that already. Aang said he would break down his campsite and fly his things over on Appa. Come on Katara, fair is fair," Zuko never really gave her brother credit, he had not seemed important as he was not a bender and not really a threat, but he was truly proving his mettle standing up to his enraged sister.

"If you really want me to, I can, I've never met a prince before." The brown haired boy with the mustache interjected, his voice small.

They had temporarily locked the prince inside what appeared to be some sort of storage room. There were stone slabs on the floor meant to hold bags of rice or something, and holes in the wall where he assumed wooden shelves had once sat, though they had long ago rotted to dust. There was one small window with bars on it, very high up, designed to keep both rodents and birds out, but still let in enough light to see clearly. A few abandoned, tattered woven sacks hung about, long since picked clean by the vermin and parasites that moved into the temple after the air benders were massacred.

"Yes, that would be great, how many Earth benders does it take to build a cage anyways?!" She was fuming, but he could hear the desperation in her voice.

"Just one that can see the designs that Teo sketches." Her brother again, "Haru has to be there."

"That's not fair!!" Something banged, she had punched the door.

"It is too fair, and it's just a couple hours, come on, you were alone with him under Ba Sing Se for much longer!"

"What about Toph?"

"After the fight you just had with her about whether or not to lock him up, I doubt she will be willing to do YOU any favors. Katara, you knocked each other into the fountain! Haru and I had to haul you off of each other." Sokka sounded almost amused, and Zuko wished he could have seen it. The little earth bending girl had seemed very cool and practical. Plus, like any man, he was a fan of watching soaking wet, pretty girls wrestle.

"Katara, it's got to be either you or Aang." Haru's voice came again, and the ultimatum seemed to work. Katara would do almost anything to protect the Avatar, they all knew it.

"Fine!!" She threw the door open.

Zuko dodged back narrowly missing getting slammed in the head by it, and he scrambled backwards trying to get out of her war path, his eyes wide.

"Just hurry it up Sokka!!" She slammed the door in her brother's face, and locked it, tucking the key down the front of her blue top. There was a pair of shackles on her hip that looked like something out of the dark ages before fire bending, she had several skins of water slung over her arms, and was clad in her tribe armor, as though she was expecting a fight.

A rough one.

Zuko looked down and away, eye contact seemed like a very foolish idea at that point. In fact, anything that might remotely be interpreted as a challenge was best to be avoided.

In his peripheral vision, he saw her shift and cross her arms, her eyes boring holes into the side of his face. He tried to ignore her at first, but that only seemed to make her madder, so he turned his head and nodded a bit, without looking at her. A gesture to respectfully acknowledge she was there, but not in any way meant to provoke her. He saw her shift from leg to leg, and her scowl deepened.

"I bet you think you're pretty smart, huh?" Her voice cut harshly through the silence.

"No." Zuko muttered, the idea of trying to help the Avatar was rapidly looking stupider and stupider. In fact, the perceived stupidity of the idea increased proportionately to how mad she looked.

"I bet you have some sort of plan all worked out." She waved an arm wildly, and began to pace the room, "Gain our trust, become our friends, then suddenly, you go and betray us and drag the Avatar back to your capital to be executed!!"

"No, Katara," he mumbled slowly, "I want to set things right."

"You're not fooling me!!" Katara did not appear to be listening to him, "You're not fooling anyone!! You're just a one trick pony, and I have already seen the show!! I'll never let you get close enough to Aang to do anything! We're just using you to teach him fire bending! You're not one of us!!"

Zuko didn't respond, he crossed his legs and slumped. It would be a long few hours if she insisted on talking through it the whole time, and longer if she did not. The rant seemed to be over, and Katara slumped onto one of the stones and simmered, her icy blue eyes fixed on him.

The minutes crawled by slowly, one after another, and finally, he dared a glance at her. She was still glaring at him from where she sat on one of the stone slabs. He wondered if she had even blinked.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't talk to me!" She bit out hatefully, cutting him off, "You are not good enough to talk to me."

Ouch.

Her tone of voice made it very clear that she believed it to be true.

Zuko dropped his gaze and turned away, the girl was one nice pair of pointed toed shoes away from a fire nation noblewoman. He wondered how a peasant could act so much like a haughty aristocrat without ever having met one. They lapsed into silence again, and Zuko watched the shadows in the room slowly shift and crawl by, minutes lapsed into hours. How long could it take to build a fire proof cage? The thought made him shiver. He didn't like the idea of being a prisoner, but it had been a last resort, and apparently, the only way the small group would take him.

It wasn't like he was a stranger to the notion. He had been a prisoner in many ways all his life. He just could never seem to find the bars to the cage until the eclipse. It had been liberating to shatter through them, to stand up to his father, to break out of his mental confinement, and now, it was horridly disheartening to find himself encaged again.

At least this time he could see the bars. They were sitting across the way from him, glaring moodily, and chewing on their lower lip. It was nerve wracking, her penetrating eyes had not moved from him, and he was uncomfortable with getting watched for so long. He had been stared at for the last two years of his life, largely due to his disfigurement, and he carefully turned his head so that she could only see his good side. It was clear that she was not staring at his scar, she and his scar were well acquainted, and she was the only woman in the world who he had allowed to touch it besides Mai. It made him feel better though, slightly less vulnerable, slightly less self conscious. It was hard to believe that the same girl who had caressed him so compassionately under Ba Sing Se was the same one that was staring at him with obvious revulsion. He had really fucked it up big time.

"You know." She sounded a little less angry, the passion in her voice had turned to dull hatred, "If it was up to me, you wouldn't be here at all, you're lucky that Aang wants you, I would have thrown you into the river."

"I'm very sorry Katara. My behavior was inexcusable."

She stood up and took a aggressive step forward, a fist raised as she yelled, "You think you can just fix it with an APOLOGY?! Well you can't!! Aang could have died because of you!!! I'll be watching you're every move, you give me the slightest reason to think that you're going to hurt him, and I will personally see to it that you never have to worry about your honor again. I will end you!"

Zuko nodded numbly, he didn't doubt it. He cringed as she took another step forward and uncorked her water skin, expecting a blow, or a torrent of freezing water, but she only laughed superiorly.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" She waved her hands, gesturing wildly, "I remember when I first met you. I was terrified of you, no, I was petrified of you. You were this great big brute of a man vomiting fire and violence, threatening us defenseless women . . . and now? Now you're nothing! You're just a washed up prince who doesn't know who he is or what he wants, and everyone, EVERYONE, his family, his friends, everyone he's ever MET hates him."

Zuko looked up, the insult hitting too close to home for comfort, "I gave up my title to come here and help the Avatar. I gave up everything." He defended.

She didn't acknowledge his case, only muttered "Face it Prince Zuko, you're a failure."

Although it was true in a way, it was still uncalled for, Zuko's temper flared, and he jumped up, his fists balling. Before he could shout back though, something slammed into his chest like a kick from an ostrich horse, and he found himself frozen to the wall, the wind knocked out of him. He gasped, but could barely breathe due to the ice's constricting hold on his ribcage.

Katara stood across from him, another skin opened, a water whip snaking out, ready to attack should he try to melt the ice.

"I'm not here to fight you." He reminded her breathlessly; he left the ice alone, although it stung his bare skin. She would unfreeze it soon, he trusted, the group would be annoyed with her if the only fire bender around lost all his fingers to frostbite and was unable to teach.

"Well maybe I want to fight!" She poked at his face with a finger, not actually touching him, "Maybe I think we need to finish what we started under Ba Sing Se!!"

"I refuse to fight an ally over her injured pride." He stated, bending his skin warmer to try to compensate for the chill of the ice. It sounded crazy to him anyways, but he had learned long ago that girls were pretty crazy, plus he didn't think that now was the best time for any such interaction.

The ice encasing him melted suddenly and yanked away.

"You think I have a wounded PRIDE?!" She swept her arm, and the water whip struck him across the chest, ramming him backwards into the wall, "I am NOT the one who has the surplus on THAT particular personality trait, _Prince Zuko_!!" She spat his name out like it was something vile.

Zuko held up his hands, trying to pacify her, "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and will never repeat them. I will be loyal to the Avatar from now on, please forgive me." He repeated, pleading to the spirits that she would calm down, he was sure he would have to take a beating from her if she worked herself up any more. He knelt down in front of her and bowed his head again, pressing his forehead to the rough stone floor.

"No, no matter how many times you ask, the answer is no!" He heard her take a few deep breaths, and saw her shift from foot to foot. Was she nervous? He sat up.

"I didn't say you could get up!" She barked, and he swallowed and quickly threw himself back down. His mind reeled in confusion, what was she playing at? Was she going to wage war on him psychologically if he refused to duel her physically? He knew from a host of childhood experiences with his sister that he did not fare well with psychological battles.

"Sorry." He muttered, pressing his forehead back into the stone.

She stomped her foot and began pacing back and forth. He watched her stalk the room like a caged lion, dread beginning to build in the pit of his stomach. It was easy to tell she was trying to figure out what else she wanted to scream at him, and he cringed at the thought. It seemed like she almost intuitively knew what would sting, everything he had told her in confidence under Ba Sing Se was coming back to bite him in the ass.

"Get up!" She ordered suddenly.

He straightened, sitting back on his heels.

"ALL the way up!" She hissed, and he scrambled up to his feet, scratching the back of his head and looking away. If Azula could only see him now she would be off her feet with laughter, the idea of the Fire Prince scrambling to follow a Water Tribe peasant's orders. It made him flush, but he quickly pushed the thoughts back down, he had lived for almost a year as a peasant himself. He had gone hungry, he had slept in the cold, and he had learned humility. That practice would serve him well now. For all intensive purposes, for the next few hours, she owned him.

She took a step forward, and he involuntarily took a step back, running into the wall behind him.

A small, cruel smile tugged at her lips. She was enjoying herself in a bizarre way, enjoying seeing the fire boy staring at her with terror in his eyes. He looked how she had felt that first day they met on the ice and the ones that followed, and she wondered if it had given him such sick satisfaction to watch her cower; sick satisfaction to grab her old grandmother and threaten them. Probably, though a back corner of her mind, the one that always defended him insisted that it was desperation not sadism that spurred his unforgivable behavior.

"Disgusting, cowardly spoiled brat. I hate you!" She muttered, but without the passion that had laced her voice earlier, in fact, she seemed almost resigned to the fact that she would need to stomach his presence for the next few months. Bending the water from the floor back into her skins, she sank back down onto the slab of stone, her head turned away and her jaws clenched.

Zuko had spent enough time with his father and sister to know when he was dismissed. The problem was that he couldn't exactly leave the room. He circled his chest with his arms, and stole a glance at the bender. She sat with both her arms and legs crossed, her nose in the air. He turned his back to her and sat back down, facing the wall. It was like Ba Sing Se all over again, except he had already squandered his second chance. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.

Another half an hour must have passed before she got up, he heard the rustle of the fabric as she stood. She paced across the room, then paused, glaring at the damn fire bender's back.

"Katara, what are you expecting me to do? You have me prisoner." Zuko reasoned, not looking at her, maintaining his meditation stance, but every fiber of his attention was concentrating on her. She didn't answer, but he heard her walk over to him and crouch down in front of him. Her face had to be inches from his, he could feel her breath on his good cheek, he could smell the delicate seaweed aroma that clung to her skin and hair. He swallowed hard, would she slap him? Would she freeze him to the wall again? He shouldn't have said anything.

"Was it worth it?" She snapped, just for the sake of snapping.

Zuko opened his eyes, she was leaning closer than he had thought, her nose mere inches from his. She grabbed the front of his silk shirt in her fists and hauled him closer as he strained back.

"Was what worth it?" He tried to adopt the reasoning tone that her brother had earlier, with just about the same amount of success.

"Nearly getting the Avatar killed, nearly destroying the last hope for peace. Were the fancy food and the silk sheets and the pretty courtesans worth it?"

"That wasn't why I did it." Katara shook him, and he protested, grabbing her wrists, "Stop it!"

"Then why?!" Was it his imagination or were her eyes tearing?

Zuko bit down agonizingly hard on his lower lip, reciting to himself again all the reasons that it would be a bad idea to remove her from his person. She would fight back, she would call her friends, they would throw him out of the group . . .

The pain helped clear his head, and when she stopped with the shaking, he whispered, "I thought . . . I thought it would make my father love me." It was the first time he had confessed it to anyone. It sounded childish and naive, and made him feel as such. He let go of her fingers, and pulled his bangs out of his face, "I thought he would forgive me for the things I did the day before he gave me _this_!"

For a minute, he saw a flash of compassion in her eyes, the tenseness in her brow loosened, and her lips opened and closed, then pressed together guiltily.

"Zuko . . ."

"It worked too, he welcomed me back with open arms," He studied her face, her eyes had returned to the soft, tender ones that he remembered, and it encouraged him, "But . . . it wasn't me he loved, it was the honor I brought to the Fire Nation, the fame that his son had killed the Avatar."

The compassion vanished as quickly as it had come with the mention of the Avatar.

"You're doing just what you did under Ba Sing Se!!" She accused, "You're trying to make me feel bad for you!! Well FORGET it!!"

"I'm not, I didn't mean to, please forgive me," Zuko tried again, frustrated, "What do I have to do to convince you to trust me?"

Katara pressed her lips together, a strange, unreadable expression flitting across her face and then vanishing. She shook her head as though to shake out an unwanted thought.

"I told you, I want to finish what we started under Ba Sing Se, I want to beat you to within an inch of your life, I want to pay you back for what you did to Aang!!" She resumed her shaking of him by his silk shirt as she spoke, she was a lot stronger than she looked.

"I understand that." He wanted very much to win her over. To prove to her and to himself that he had changed. To have solid evidence to lay at her feet, not just ask her for blind hope that at the crucial moment, he would make the right call.

"What?" Her voice had turned to ice, and she let him go, sitting backwards.

"Your desire for revenge, I understand. Sometimes things can only be settled through vengeance." Zuko pulled the tie of his shirt open, baring his chest, "Take it. Just bear in mind I will have to be physically able to teach Aang to bend once you're through with me."

He could tell by her expression that she was considering it. She wanted to, by Agni, she wanted to. Her eyes practically lusted for it, and he saw her lick her lips, as though she could taste the delicacy of drawing his blood. In the back corner of his mind, he wished she would, and not just because it would vent her frustrations and she would be kinder. He wanted her to because pain was something that he understood, and it was an easy fix to their complicated problem, and because when he fought her, he felt the most twisted sense of exhilaration.

Maybe that's why they were destined to be enemies, because they enjoyed hating each other so very much. He tensed as she stepped forward, her hands balling into fists, but no blow followed.

He raised his head, questioning, her eyes were still narrowed, "You want me to! You're looking forward to it!"

How had she picked up on that? Zuko wasn't sure.

"You want me to!" She repeated reproachfully, "So what? You'll have an excuse to escape? 'Sorry Aang, Katara started fighting with me! I had to escape, let's go train alone in the woods now'"

Zuko bristled, he did NOT sound like that. In her impersonation of him, she had given him a lisp and a whiney, vacant pitch. She had also put her hand over the wrong eye.

"No, I won't." It was just his word, all he could offer, and he knew how much it was worth in her eyes. Absolutely nothing.

To his surprise, Katara looked around, perhaps looking for someone to stop her, or a logical reason not to indulge herself in the pleasure of battering him. It was a tempting offer, one she doubted he would make a second time. Her fingers practically itched to render him to his knees, and her mouth watered to taste his whimpers of pain. He was sorry for hurting Aang, but not as sorry as she would _make_ him.

Her eyes narrowed and in a quick, catlike movement, she struck him, punching him hard in the stomach. He doubled over and grunted loudly, luckily his abs took most of the force and protected his organs. Still hurt like hell though and left him gasping_. Damn the girl could throw a punch._ She stood up and seized his hair, hurling him into the wall where his head hit with a rather loud crack. The fire prince sank from his knees to the floor, staring at her, stunned. He closed his eyes, another kick in the stomach collapsed him to the ground, where she kicked him a few more times before she finally stepped back. He looked up, she appeared to be waiting for him to get up.

Panting from the exertion and adrenaline rush, Katara pulled her hair back off her shoulders, and waited. Her eyes were glinting with something he couldn't quite place, pleasure yes, but something even more carnal as well. It was terrifyingly beautiful, and made his lower stomach tighten in ways Mai never had. He wanted more, he wanted to stand up.

Zuko pulled himself to his elbows, deciding he would examine the new concept later. There was surely a logical explanation.

On shaky knees, he stood up again, waiting for the next barrage, but it didn't come. Her happiness had fled, and Katara looked unsure. Revenge never made one feel better, it made you feel worse and he could see she was realizing this. Only forgiveness could make you feel better, but she would have to figure that out the long way round, and he would be the test dummy. The thought made him feel both pride and dread.

"Do you feel better?"

"Shut up!!"

"You don't, do you? I bet you feel guilty and childish."

"Shut UP!!" It seemed like she was at a loss for comebacks. Maybe she had never lashed out so violently before. Maybe he was the first one she had hurt for the sick satisfaction of hurting someone.

"I understand the anger," He ventured, "I've spent most of my life angry too."

"SHUT UP!" she reached up and covered his mouth with both her hands, pressing him back into the wall. The sudden contact and sensation of pressure on both sides of his head made it throb horribly, and he saw stars. Her shoulders were shaking, was she crying? Laughing? Panting? He couldn't tell as he looked down at her. Her shoulders spasmed once.

Crying, probably.

"What the hell are you playing at?!" She yelled, her head was angled down, so he couldn't see her face. She was probably biting back emotion, but he didn't know which.

He swallowed and reached his hands up slowly to touch her shoulders comfortingly. As soon as he rested them there, he felt her tense. He shouldn't have touched her, that made her angry again, and he muttered a hasty apology into her palms which were still pressed to his lips.

She stiffened even more, and looked up, her face pale, and she snatched her hands away. For a second, Zuko was scared he had somehow accidentally burnt her. Jerkily, she rubbed them on the hips of her pants, trying to shake off the lingering tingling that still danced across her skin, then looked up at him accusingly.

It was not a new sensation, the sudden electricity in her system, Jet had made her knees weak and her body tremble, it wasn't even a new sensation with him, once or twice, when she had a passing chance to admire him, she would use it fully to do just that. Somehow though, Katara was always taken by surprise, each time, she would write it off to temporary insanity, or living her life in a village full of women, and forget about it. She had hoped with his final betrayal under Ba Sing Se, the flutterings would go away. Apparently they had not, and his lips moving against her palms had felt so foreign and wonderful that it had unsettled her horribly.

_Bastard._ She thought again, using anger to cover up her uncertainty and to push away her guilt. Her heart was pounding, and she felt vulnerable again. The damn prince always made her feel so vulnerable.

"I thought I told you not to apologize." She grumbled finally.

"I thought you wanted to 'thrash me to within an inch of my life'." Zuko replied provoking her, some of the amused arrogance returning to his face. He knew something was happening beneath the surface, but wasn't sure what.

The torrent had slammed him in the chest before she fully decided how she was going to react; she had simply moved reflexively.

"Ow . . ." Zuko sat back on his heels and began brushing his drenched hair out of his eyes, "Feel any better now?" Was he taunting her? Teaching her? He wasn't sure. Things were getting out of control really fast.

When he looked up, Katara stood ridged, her face screwed up into a contorted grimace, her fists clenched so tightly her elbows shook, and her olive knuckles were practically white.

"Katara?"

"No."

"No?"

"NO!"

"I thought you said you want to finish what we started under Ba Sing Se." Zuko asked, he dabbed tentatively at the back of his head, it didn't seem to be bleeding, but it was hard to thing straight through the pounding.

She growled and turned away, her back stiff.

"You're not worth my time."

"Have you 'finished what we started'? I didn't fight back, will you trust me now?" He reached out and touched her elbow caringly, then moved to clasp her arm and turn her back around.

"Don't touch me! You don't EVER touch me!!" although she barked it and turned around to glare at him, she didn't yank her arm away.

"Okay, I wont, girls like their personal space," Even though he conceded to her terms, he did not let go, "but Katara-"

"And don't do that either!"

"Do what?"

"Stop saying my name like that!" there was the hand yank, and he sighed and let her arm twist from his grasp without protest.

"Like what?"

"Like THAT!!"

"It's your name, isn't it?" He sat back tiredly, looking away at the floor, "What else would you have me call you? You didn't like 'peasant' either."

Her glare deepened.

_Ok,_ he thought, _peasant joke = not funny_.

"How about Master Water Bender? That's your title, right? Or Avatar's Water bending Sifu?"

She couldn't tell whether or not he was teasing her, and it was making her mad.

"Excuse me if I don't like it when people lie to my face by saying my name like that. I know what you're doing." He was saying it like they were old friends, friends that laughed and loved and cared for each other. He was saying it gently, and it was unnerving.

"I'm not plotting anything." Zuko insisted, "I've changed, I don't want to be a 'spoiled prince' anymore."

Once again the silence enveloped them.

"Prove it!" She said suddenly.

"What?"

"You said you would earlier, prove that you don't want to be a spoiled prince anymore."

"Umm, how exactly do you propose I do that?"

"I don't know, do something un-princely."

"I've been begging for your forgiveness, scrambling to follow your orders, and taking your verbal and physical attacks for the past few hours!" Zuko huffed, "Do you want me to grovel now too?!"

"What if I do? Show me some humility, _Prince_ Zuko, and maybe I'll consider believing you." Katara raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Zuko looked up at her dumbly from where he knelt on the floor, "I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, _Master Water Bender_, I don't exactly know how NOT to act like a Prince."

It was intimidating, Katara chewing on her lower lip like that and giving him an appraising look. He probably shouldn't have yielded her the power of making the decision. He had willingly given her the upper hand, and he had absolutely no idea where she would choose to place it.

"Let me tie your hands. No bending, no protesting, no fighting." She said suddenly.

He seemed to consider her proposition carefully, his suspicion poorly concealed.

"What do you plan on doing to me after you restrain me?" he asked, slowly. It seemed silly, he had already agreed to let her strike him, what else could she do?

"You agreed to show some humility, that's what I'm asking . . . no bending, no protesting, no fighting, and _no_ questions asked."

"This is not about humility but humiliation, there's a difference." His pride was fighting hand in hand with his desire to show her that he meant well, but even atonement had a limit. There was no honor in degradation!!

"No, _Prince, _this is about trust, not humiliation. Why should I even consider trusting _you _if you won't trust _me_?"

He picked up the semantics: 'me' and 'I' instead of 'us' and 'we'. She was not talking about her group, her brother, her friends or even her precious Avatar. She was talking about herself, and then it dawned upon Zuko son of Ozai that _this_ was a battle in a war that have been going on for a year, since that day he manhandled an old woman in the snow and was struck by the most amazing pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. But Zuko was a child of warfare, raised and bred on military conflict and court intrigues, and he knew that even if battles per se don't win wars, they can completely lose them.

"I trusted you in Ba Sing Se." She reminded him.

"Are you going to use those shackles?" He asked, why did it feel so different now from when he had offered them to the Avatar, even if he seemed to have been talking to their group. In his mind, the Avatar was the only one with enough hierarchy to take him prisoner. It had come out as a complete surprise to Zuko that the powerful child-bender he knew to be so confident in confrontations was so willing to relinquish power to a group of misfits and decide everything by committee. If _he _would have been the Avatar instead, he would have run this group differently.

"I changed my mind. I have no use for 'friends' who cannot follow simple instructions." Katara turned her back to him, if he wasn't going to trust her, she would never trust him. She had been the first to offer it the last time, and he had shattered it into oblivion. Stupid boy, he wasn't the first, and she doubted he would be the last, but as she had with Jet, she expected some tribute. A peace offering to prove that he was trying. Jet had helped them find Appa and sacrificed himself for the cause, and in her mind, his transgressions were nowhere near as grave as the ex prince's.

"Wait! I'll let you do it," he said hurriedly, offering his wrists like he had done just a couple of hours before. The ultimatum had spurred his decision far more effectively than coaxing ever would.

"You lost your chance." She looked deadly serious.

Something rebelled inside him. She was playing a game with girl rules he didn't understand.

"I shouldn't. Ka- I mean, you have tried to hurt me just as often as I you . . . trust can never be automatic. You know that by experience."

"You and your nation taught me that, _Prince_." Katara was suddenly livid again, "Maybe it's time for _you_ to learn a few new lessons. I'm sure I could teach you a thing or two!" He flinched. Every time she said his title the word was so full of venom that he could feel the sting of a two headed snake biting him. He wished that she would call him by his name, with no title in front. Somehow the poison didn't reach his name the way it soaked his title.

He offered his wrists again in silence, to appease her, feeling like a blood sacrifice to the gods. She pondered something, tapping her chin with her finger. She walked to where he was kneeling and stopped in front of him.

"Stand up," she ordered.

He did so, awkwardly, still holding his wrists out in front of him. She circled him, slowly, studying him and Zuko felt every tendon, every nerve on his body tense out, in weird ... anticipation. Like on the battlefield, he was hyper aware of everything going on around him, the heat of her body and breath, the sound of her feet scraping across the floor, the crack of her knees as she stopped, the birds singing outside the window, and the fountain water splashing in the next building over. He visibly jumped when he felt her place a hand on his shoulder, and he reddened, hearing a soft, amused snort behind him.

Smoothing over the burgundy fabric of his sleeve, her hand slid down his arm, making it's way to his wrist inch by torturous inch. Blood was still clotting on the tips of her fingers, and it had probably soaked into her fingerless black gauntlets. Zuko closed his eyes, feeling suddenly like he couldn't watch. Fingertips gave way to a palm, and she closed her hand around his wrist, and squeezed once before drawing it back behind him delicately.

She pressed his hand into the small of his back, forcing his spine to align and him to lean back a bit, and she leaned in to whisper into his scared ear. Seeing him squirm was surprisingly enjoyable, and for a minute she wondered how far she could push him before he snapped.

"Too bad we don't have a tree . . ." She saw him stiffen, remembering, and she carefully drew his other hand behind him until it joined the first. She was having fun, and she took her time. His pulse was practically throbbing through his wrists where she held them, an echo of his heart. _Spirits, it must be racing . . . I don't even need the full moon to feel it._

For his part, Zuko was praying for it to be over soon and also to never end. He wanted her to just shackle him and be done with it, yes. The problem was, he did not know what she would do to him once she had him shackled. He was tense, waiting for her to strike again, thinking deep down that hitting someone in the back was cowardly.

She did not.

He felt one of her hands let go, and the other move to hold both his wrists, squeezing them together in a firm, almost uncomfortable grip. He knew he could break it easily if he wanted to, but this wasn't about physical strength but mental fortitude. Her other hand pressed into his hair and pushed his head forward smartly. Only her fingertips touched him, as though he were something loathsome and slimy that was to be handled with care not because it was valuable, but because it was rancid and liable to stain.

Zuko desperately wanted to ask her what the hell she thought that she was doing, but after her reaction to the last question he voiced, didn't dare. Making her mad while she had him by the wrists and neck was a bad idea. Nobody would do something like that. Plus, he was so close to appeasing her, he could rough out the last few uncertain moments. He was positive that she was just trying to psyche him out so she would not have to uphold her end of the trust bargain.

Moving from the crown of his head, her fingers traced along his jaw, to his chin, then across his Adam's apple, she pressed her two main fingers into his throat. It made him swallow several times, and her thumb quickly sank into the flesh of the opposite side of his neck, into the slight hollow under his ear. She practically had her fingers around his windpipe and jugular. If it had been Azula, it would have been long nails scraping him. Luckily, she was not Azula, and anyway this girl didn't have long nails. It was just her cold finger, sinking into the soft flesh of his neck. He almost wished she would claw, At least he knew where he stood with unbridled violence.

_Is she taking my pulse?_ Zuko wondered, the feeling familiar, he knew how to monitor his vital signs, though he had never actually had someone else do it for him. Particularly not in such an outlandishly terrifying way. She was considering something about him, all her fury from before, the terrifying passion of her rage now at bay, held back, like if she was keeping it in check in a leach. A very unnerving thought struck him that she was considering something about his blood, but immediately rejected the thought. This girl _was not _Azula, he hoped that she didn't share his sister's tastes.

"It'll be a long time before I trust you again, _Prince._" she told him, biting every word, "But maybe I will if _you_ trust _me_ . . ."

She removed her finger from his neck, and he could _feel_ her distaste. Squeezing his eyelids more tightly shut, he felt the shackles snap on, the cold metal tightening and clicking into place around his right fore arm. The hinges were old, but sturdy, and he could tell instantly he wouldn't be able to bend or wriggle out of them.

Instead of fastening the other wrist right away, she hesitated for a long time, he was actually about to clear his throat when she began moving again. She led his arm by the chain around to the front, and held out her hand expectantly. He gave her his unbound wrist hastily, no questions asked, placing his wrist in her palm lightly.

It was a small victory, and it heartened him greatly. She trusted him enough to bind his hands in front, and if she was feeling generous and was going to give him that much more freedom with his arms, it meant that she was softening.

It was a start.

The shackles had been Sokka's. She had never asked where or why he got them, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She assumed he had found them in the desert library, he had stolen a bunch of old things from there. Whereever they had come from, she was thankful for them, and she fingered the key where it was tucked into her bindings.

"Katara?" Someone knocked on the door, "Katara, we're done with the cell, can you open the door?"

"Gladly!" She ignored him for a minute and fished down the front of her shirt, extracting the large old door key and slipping it into the lock. "Okay Haru, I'm opening the door now." He heard Haru slide a dead bolt and then the door swung open.

"Katara, did you really have to restrain him?"

"I know," Zuko saw the little earth bending girl lounging on the rocks nearby, the soles of her feet nearly black with dirt, "I don't think we need to go through all this, he seems pretty nice, and let's face it, I am an excellent judge of character."

"You're so humble about it too, Toph." Katara muttered under her breath, still in a bad mood from the unsettling experience alone with the Fire Bender. Though Zuko had to strain to hear the snarky remark, the girl, Toph, reacted as though Katara had shouted it.

"Listen here Sugar Queen!!" Toph straightened, "I was right about Jet, wasn't I?"

"Sugar Queen?" Zuko asked, and received a water bender's elbow jabbed into his ribs smartly, and he growled at her and dug his heels into the ground, refusing to follow her. The nickname was pretty ironic.

"Who is Jet?" Haru asked a little anxiously.

"Jet was her boyfriend." Toph supplied with a grin, "The Duke and Pipsqueak were some of his freedom fighters."

"He wasn't my boyfriend!" Katara tugged but Zuko didn't budge.

"I can tell you're lying . . ."

"He wasn't! I can't believe we're having this discussion right now!" She distractedly hauled on the chain then hooked her foot around Zuko's and leaned into him, tripping him into taking a step.

"Oh yea, I forgot . . . he was her lovesick puppy crush that betrayed her so she insisted on hating him for months afterwards." She explained to Haru, who was frowning, apparently unaware that he had competition other than the Avatar.

"He was not! I mean, I did not! It wasn't days . . . Haru, can you help me move this flaming idiot?"

Toph giggled, well, not exactly giggled, it was too maniacal, but in the most good natured way possible, as though teasing her friends was one of the ways she showed affection. Zuko was starting to think Toph was an evil genius. Either that or she really liked to mess with Katara.

"Come on, Prince Zuko . . ." Haru was at least being polite, "I don't want to have to earth bend your feet out from under you."

Zuko considered it, but then decided that he had no interest in the earth moving him, and he sighed and began walking again.

"Thank you Haru, you're really sweet." He felt Katara's hand on his back as she shoved him forward for good measure, and he stumbled a few steps, doubling over before regaining his balance.

Zuko raised an eyebrow, was she trying to flirt with the earth bender? He tried to remember how Ty Lee said girls did it . . .

Toph hopped up and trudged along behind them, and Haru fell back to talk to her. They chatted back and forth amiably about some earth bending form or another, and then the Earth Rumble something-or-other tournaments, Zuko hadn't ever heard of them. Katara would turn and interject something crossly every few minutes, usually a negative snap.

It was getting on everyone's nerves, and Toph and Haru fell further and further behind until suddenly Katara turned her head and they were no longer following them. They must have ducked down a corridor and fled. It had probably been Toph's idea.

Katara fumed and hauled him roughly around another corner, leading him like an Ostrich Horse. Looking around, Zuko found himself following her down a hallway of doors. They were cells, monk cells, the Fire Sages had quarters similar back in the capital. There was a boy in a wheelchair sitting there, flipping through bits of parchment. As they neared him, he looked up and waved them over.

"Hey Katara, you have to come and check this out, me and Haru put it together, and it is genius! Well, almost genius."

"Oh yea?"

"Toph helped too, but she kept making mistakes and we would have to start over, that's why it took so long. It's weird, normally she is so precise with her bending."

As he spoke, Haru and Toph rounded a different corner. Katara glared at them and crossed her arms.

"Haru!!" Toph exclaimed suddenly, "I TOLD you it wasn't that turn . . ." She gave an innocent smile, and batted her lashes at the water bender.

"But Toph, you said-"

"Hey Goggles, you show Katara how the contraption works?" Toph stomped her foot and a jut of rock hit Haru in the shin.

"I was just going to," The boy replied, adjusting said goggles on his forehead, "See Katara, the stones sit on hinges, on one side, and a stopper on the other. Each has a channel full of water at the top and you can bend it to trip the latch. Toph, Aang, or Haru could just earth bend the latch though. We designed it special for you."

Katara did her best to muster a proud, nontoxic smile, though she didn't quite succeed.

"It looks amazing Teo."

She walked over to the strange thing and practiced unlocking and opening the things a few times.

"So, you're Prince Zuko." The wheelchair boy, Teo, was scrutinizing him.

"Yea, I met his uncle once." Toph informed them, "He was a pretty together guy, It's weird to think he had such a crazy brother . . . no offence." She added quickly.

"None taken." Zuko fidgeted and twisted his wrists uncomfortably.

"Jeez, Katara!" Teo exclaimed, "You trying to torture the man? You need to take those manacles off,"

Katara turned and argued, "If I take them off he could try to firebend."

"I'm not going to do anything." Zuko insisted.

"Okay, okay . . ." Everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells with an angry Katara on the loose.

She brushed past him, and with a wave of her hand, opened the door and hauled him inside by his chained hands. He surveyed the room as she closed the door behind them, old, dusty, decaying, it hadn't been lived in for at least a hundred years. There was an old bed, a table, a chair, and a small dresser, all had been cleaned a bit, but still looked very shoddy. His things were piled in the corner where Aang must have left them. He took a step towards the pile, he was definitely ready to lay down for a while, his head still ached where it had connected with the wall, and his stomach felt queasy from the blows it had taken.

Before he had made it far though, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Turn around."

He did so, expecting the worst.

"What time do you want to start your lessons?"

"What?" It took him a second to realize that she meant him teaching Aang, and not the ones she had mentioned earlier with her teaching him. It was slightly disappointing.

"So I can tell Aang what time to be ready."

"An hour after dawn." He told her, and she crinkled up her nose in distaste.

"Very well." With an air of superiority, she turned and walked out of the room. The latch snapped, sealing him inside. He could hear her and the two Earth Kingdom boys chatting as they walked away, they were grilling her on what Sokka was hunting, and what might be for dinner.

He turned and began digging through his things, the manacles made it difficult, but not impossible to navigate.

"Good, they're gone." He turned around and saw his door swing open, the little earth bender leaned against the frame, grinning.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I kind of wanted to apologize for Sugar Queen, I think I pissed her off and she took it out on you." Toph shut the door.

"It's okay, it's not totally your fault." Zuko scratched the back of his head with one hand, the other dangling limply on the end of the chain. "Katara and I, we have history . . ."

"You know," Toph changed the subject and made herself at home, sitting on his table, which luckily didn't break as it must have been a hundred and fifty years old, "The first time Sokka mentioned you in front of me, she defended you."

Zuko looked up, interested.

"Yea, well, not so much you as your ponytail, but as far as I hear, it made up at least sixty percent of your personality." Toph straightened her legs and wiggled her toes, "Sokka said you were an 'angry freak with a ponytail'."

"Well, I don't think she is planning to stick up for me at all anymore." Zuko said wryly, "And I don't have the ponytail anymore."

"HA!! Maybe that's why!" Toph laced her toes together and chortled at her joke.

"I doubt it." He opened his pack, pulling his cloths out and began to fill the old wardrobe with them.

"Yea, she's been mad at you ever since you guys were under Ba Sing Se, but she won't say why, but I think I figured it out. Well, I have a theory, but I still need to . . . what's the phrase Goggles uses? I still need to run some tests, that's it."

"That's nice." As long as the water peasant didn't try to kill him in his sleep, he was pretty sure that it wouldn't matter very much _why_ she was angry, it was pretty obvious she felt betrayed, and she seemed to have decided to hate him for it just like that kid Jet. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that, when she looked at him the way she had, he had been willing to do anything for her. He had a sneaking suspicion not just to earn her respect and forgiveness either.

"Before I forget . . . ." Toph sauntered back over and with a touch of her fingers, the metal shackles wrenched open with a groan and clattered to the floor, mutilated beyond usability. They writhed for a minute, then sprung back, and Toph scooped them up and held them out.

"How did you do that?" Zuko rubbed his wrists and hands happy that the blood was again flowing to his abused fingertips.

"I am the greatest earth bender in the world!!" Toph pounded her chest in a very macho masculine fashion, "and the only known metal bender of all time!!"

He had never heard of a metal bender before.

"Just put them back on before Sugar queen sees or she'll pitch a fit." She swiped her foot across the floor to open the stone bars, then again to close them after she had walked through.

"Someone will come get you for dinner in an hour." Her voice floated down the hallway.

O

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Katara sat brooding, staring into the pot of rice she was cooking, using an old spoon to stir it. She barely looked up when Haru sat down next to her, beginning to roast meat and vegetables over their kitchen fire. She didn't notice at all when Toph strolled in and sat down opposite her, grinning like a fox in a henhouse.

"Hey Sugar Queen!"

Katara looked up at the smaller girl, "What is it Toph? I'm busy cooking your dinner."

"Zuko!"

Katara's heart hammered and jumped into her throat, "What about him? Did he get out?!" She looked over her shoulder and around the small plaza, searching for errant fire benders.

"No," Toph leaned back, shrugging nonchalantly, "I just felt like saying his name. Pretty name. Zuko."

Katara shrugged and went back to her stirring.

"Zuko!"

Again her pulse leapt, this time her cheeks flushed as well, and she was thankful that the earth bender could not see it. She growled and chucked the spoon, it bounced off the pot with a clang and landed at her feet.

"Why do you keep doing that Toph?!" Katara's voice trembled, and she stomped her foot, partly because she was mad, and partly because she was trying to cause interference in the vibrations her friend felt.

Haru flipped the meat over, "Shouldn't you be fetching him for dinner or bringing him dinner or something Toph?" he asked, their first fight had been scary, and he was not quite up for mediating round two, "The food is almost ready."

Katara muttered something about letting him starve.

"Why can't Sokka do it?" Toph stole a glance at the warrior who was practicing angry faces in the reflection of his black sword. Aang sat next to him, feeding nuts to Momo by tossing them into the air and watching the lemur catch them.

"Can't you see I'm busy Toph?" he called back. "Intimidating your opponent can make or break your battle with them!"

Toph rolled her unseeing eyes and stood. "Okay okay, I'll go fetch Sweetness's new pet."

"He isn't my pet!!" Katara yelled after her in the same tone she insisted that Jet had not been her boyfriend. The vibrations however, whispered to Toph that it was only technically true, and of course, that was practically lying.

"What's gotten into that girl?!" Katara asked the group in general as she watched her go.

Haru shrugged and Aang smiled obliviously.

"I bet I know, she's in lava . . ." Sokka joined in on the joke, "You get it? Lava? Because you asked-"

"I get it Sokka." Katara bent the water from the rice and pulled the pot from the fire with a cloth.

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**So after reading one too many 'Zuko captures Katara and holds her prisoner on his ship' story, and having a rather interesting chat with a friend who I recently learned the hard way (don't ask) is a BDSM subbie, I decided it was about time to turn the tables! **

**I mean, come on, what goes around comes around.**

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**Sorry to anyone waiting with baited breath for Midsummer Madness, I will get on that next, but I wanted to . . . strike while the iron was hot . . . so to speak. Plus I am stubborn and like to finish what I start.**

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Thank you to Adridere for bailing me out of a writer's block, you helped me soooo freakin much!! You are the Obi Wan Kenobi to my Luke Skywalker!!**

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**Okay, Review!!**


	2. Chapter 2: Combustion Man

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

**Note: **This fic runs under the assumption that the Gaang took Zuko prisoner when he offered himself up in the Western Air Temple.

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**Disclaimer:** Avatar is owned by Bryke and Nick. Not me. I know right? Wtf. I am not making any money on this, I do not claim these characters as my own, it's purely fan made.

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**Chapter 2:**

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Zuko sat, staring at his uncle's portrait. He missed the older man terribly, but understood that he had reached the point where he had to forge on without a mentor; that he was mature enough to make the right decision on his own.

Reaching out, he picked up the frame and brought it closer to his good eye.

"She hates me . . . she loathes me . . . what should I do, uncle? How can I win her over?" He plaintively asked the image, "She keeps bossing me around, and I can't fight her, and not even hitting me seems to make her feel better." Zuko sat on his bed and flopped backwards, "Though it did make me feel a little better . . . I think I feel less guilty about it. Do something wrong, get punished for it, easy enough to understand, I guess. I feel better knowing I got what was coming to me, but . . . she's still mad . . . maybe I deserve a harsher penalty."

He rolled over onto his stomach, "She wants me to PROVE I'm trustworthy, Uncle, she wants me to prove it by trusting HER to do things . . . She said she'll trust me if I trust her . . . but I don't know, what if she keeps pushing? What if she requests something that I just can't do? That I WON'T do? Then all that work is for nothing! Maybe I should just quit while I am only a little bit behind . . . what would you do?"

In his best impression of his uncle, Zuko gave himself advice, "Zuko, never underestimate the power of servitude . . . the ability to make people happy is a rare and wonderful talent . . ."

Zuko dropped the voice, disgusted, "Oh, you're no help. You would do anything for a pretty girl- not that I think Katara is pretty!"

Suddenly, he heard the door open behind him, and he whirled around, hands at the ready.

"Relax, Jumpy." Toph shut his door behind her, "I'm not the big bad water bender come to shriek at you until you're deaf."

"I wasn't worried that it was her." Zuko informed her, almost too hurriedly.

"'Corse you weren't." Toph didn't even bother calling his lie, she had bigger Zuko-fish to fry, "So, why were you talking to yourself?"

"I was not!!"

"Zuuuuuuko you should do whatever Toph teeeells you tooooo." Toph mimicked his impression of his uncle's tone, "She is very wise and in need of worthy minions."

"That's not what I said!!" Zuko huffed.

"So you admit it!!"

"I . . ." Belatedly, the Fire bender realized the trap he had walked into, "Okay, so I was talking to myself, what of it?!"

"Nothing, nothing, Sokka does it too sometimes." Toph shook her head, "So, you hungry?"

Zuko shrugged, his stomach was still tied in a knot from anxiety.

"Well, I'm starving." Toph told him, "Where are those damn cuffs . . ." she tapped her toes against the floor and then turned towards them, "There they are! Put them back on or Sweetness will tan both our hides, and not in a good way."

It occurred to him to refuse, he was a fire bending master after all, he didn't have to take it. Toph had, however, done him a big favor of taking them off for him, and he didn't want to repay that by getting her in trouble with Katara. Anyways, she was the only one in the group that was being openly friendly, and he had a pretty good idea that that would stop if he got her knocked into the fountain for a second time.

"Give them here." He muttered, reaching out his hand.

Five minutes later, he found himself shuffling behind her, listening to her polite banter. She was fine walking in the darkness, but Zuko had to make a plume of flame in his hand to light the way, otherwise he would stumble over the debris of the crumbling buildings. It was a bit more difficult than usual to get the fire going, but he blamed that on his inner turmoil, he was sure after a good night sleep and something to eat, he would be back to his old self.

"Down that corridor is the huge Pai Sho table, and that corridor is the girl's rooms, and over there is the makeshift kitchen . . . the boy's rooms are over there in that tower, you're a bit isolated because of the special door we needed . . . you've already toured the old pantry if I remember correctly . . . and this fountain balcony is sort of our common area, see, the campfire is up ahead." Toph paused, letting him catch up, "Eat a lot tonight, tomorrow is Sokka and Teo's turn to cook . . . so it will probably be inedible or explosive, and the day after is The Duke and Aang's so there wont be any meat. Don't tell her I said this, but Sweetness and Haru always make the best grub."

"I'll keep it in mind." Zuko agreed noncommittally.

"Hey, what are you guys waiting for?" Sokka yelled across the balcony, serving spoon in hand, "It's chow time!!" The smell of cooked rice and vegetables was wafting over to them, and his mouth began to water.

Toph seemed to agree, and grabbed the chain of his shackles, forcing him to extinguish his torch, and trotted the rest of the way over to the circle of firelight, dragging the Fire Prince behind her.

Dinner was quiet, everyone seemed depressed, and it was easy to see why. They all were still downcast about the crushing defeat on the day of the black sun. Zuko couldn't say he blamed them, it weighed heavy on his mind as well. Breaking up with Mai, standing up to his Father, not being able to find his Uncle . . .

"Hey! Zuko," Toph was wiggling a plate of food in front of him, "Earth to Sparky . . .Ha! 'Earth to Sparky . . .'" she laughed at her unintentional joke, and so did Sokka and Aang, though it did sound a slight bit forced.

He reached up and took the plate from her, muttering a polite 'thank you' before turning all his attention to it.

Finally a few snatches of conversation started up. Sokka and Teo began discussing a concept for some sort of exploding powder, and Haru and The Duke once again started talking to Toph about some earth rumble tournament. Apparently she was some sort of celebrity among young men for having won it so many times.

Katara was silent through it all, only talking when she was directly asked something. Whenever he looked up, she was watching him, her blue eyes eerily bright in the firelight. Aang was silent too, he seemed to be watching Katara watch him, a confused, worried expression glued to his features. Zuko looked back at his plate, away from the younger boy, firstly because he didn't want to complete the weird, staring triangle that they had going on, and secondly, he didn't want to be accused of staring at, and there for plotting to catch, the Avatar.

"So, Zuko, how's it feel to be part of the Aang gang now?" Sokka grinned, "Bet it beats the pants off of Azula's bunch!"

"Yea, I guess." Zuko shrugged, putting down his half eaten plate of food, suddenly no longer hungry.

"So, I've always wondered," Sokka babbled on, "How did you get that huge scar over your eye? Was it some sort of fire bending accident?"

"It's private." Zuko snapped back.

"A burn scar? Awesome!! Can I touch it?!" Toph leapt up and reached for him, fingers extended.

"NO!! No nono!!" Zuko caught her hands before they reached his face, the genuine panic in his voice surprising everyone around the fire. Spoons froze, suspended in their journey from plate to mouth, and conversations ceased as suddenly, he and the earth bender were the center of attention. Toph's glassy eyes were widened in shock, and she blinked slowly, at a loss for words.

"Why not?" Sokka asked, gesturing with his spoon, "It's not like she can see it, you know."

"I just . . . I don't like people touching it." Zuko muttered, letting go of Toph and looking back down into his bowl. He made a point not to look at Katara, he was scared of the expression he might find on her face.

"Well . . . you could have fooled me." She bit out, and then regretted it when suddenly all eyes were on her.

"Oh can it, Sarcasmo, I'm over it," Toph replied to the fuming water bender, "If he doesn't want his face touched, he doesn't want his face touched, It's not like he is my tethered ostrich horse that I can pet wherever I want . . . "

Katara reddened, though all Toph could sense was the increase of her heart rate. She was doubtless remembering the 'your pet' jab from earlier, and that conjured a mental picture. Toph wasn't sure if the picture illustrated 'petting whenever she wanted' or 'tethered ostrich horse', but both were equally effective.

There was a sudden clank of a plate being set down.

"I'm going to bed." He heard her announce suddenly and stand and walk around the circle of bodies, heading for where Toph had pointed out their rooms were.

"Hey wait!" Sokka yelled after her, "Katara!!" She whirled around impatiently.

"What Sokka?"

"You still have the key to those shackles." Sokka ventured tentatively.

"SO?!?!"

"Er . . . so . . . Zuko might have trouble . . . you know . . . taking off his shirt tonight." Sokka hooked a finger into and tugged at the fabric of his own sleeves to emphasize.

Zuko finally glanced up, and saw that Katara's flush had deepened, though he wasn't sure if it was out of anger or embarrassment.

"It's in my room." She turned to go again, not elaborating to the group what she planned to do with it.

"What's with her?" Sokka asked the group in general.

"Maybe she is just tired from all the walking . . ." Teo hazarded, "It's been a rough couple of days."

"Yea . . ." Aang agreed, always the optimist, "I'm sure she'll be feeling better in the morning!"

"Actually, I'm pretty drained too." Zuko conceded, "I think I'm going to go lay down."

"You sure?" Toph asked surprised, "It's still pretty early."

"I get up early in the morning." Zuko replied, brushing the dirt from his pants as best he could.

"You going to finish that?" Sokka asked, pointing with his spoon to the dish of rice.

"Help yourself."

"Do you need me to open the door for you?" Haru offered.

"It's okay!" Toph jumped up and trotted after him, "I can do it, wait up." She wasn't offering to walk him so much as bend the cuffs off him when they reached his room, but Zuko shook his head.

"You don't have to, I know the way." Zuko's lips twitched, then he remembered she couldn't see it, so he put a hand on her shoulder for a second, "Haru can do it, you stay, have fun, finish your dinner. Remember, Sokka is cooking tomorrow."

"Hey!!" Sokka yelled indignantly from across the way.

"Alright, I'll tell Katara you went to bed." Toph replied, "She might be being a feminazi right now, but she won't let you sleep like a pretzel all night. Her guilt will get the better of her."

"Thanks."

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"Katara?" Haru called through her door, then tentatively knocked, "I put the Prince in his room . . ."

There was no answer, and the earth bender shrugged, figuring that she must have popped off to the fountain or baths quickly before bed. He would catch her later.

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The water bender was, however, seated cross legged on her bed, her elbows on her knees, staring at the key with it's string sitting on her blanket a few feet away. She had changed out of her armor and stripped off the boots and wrapped one of the old blankets around her. It had been a vain hope that taking off her armor would convince her to stay in her room and forget the prince, but she had given it a shot anyway.

She knew she aught to go unbind him, but . . . she just didn't completely want to. Half of her wanted him to sit and suffer, and the other, her maternal half wanted to go and do what was right. Unfortunately, as the minutes passed and her anger at being humiliated during dinner subsided, her conscious got the better of her. Finally, after wiling away half the night thinking about the Prince, she stood. It was ridicules, he was locked in his room, how much trouble could having his hands possibly get him into? (heh heh heh . . . I mean nothing) She reached out and snatched the bit of metal up, tying it around her left wrist. It was depressing her that she was missing a perfectly good- and needed, night of sleep and instead choosing to agonize over the twice banished prince.

Jamming her feet into her slip on shoes and folding the blanket and tossing it back on her bed, she headed for the door. As soon as she opened it, it felt like something was wrong. Brushing it off, she concentrated on the task at hand, getting from there to Zuko's room.

Poking her nose out, she glanced down the deserted corridor. The only sounds she heard was the howling of the wind, which blew up the passage and into her face, chilling her. Muttering, a half formed nothing about her old furs, she closed her door behind her. It would only take a minute; she wouldn't need to bundle up.

Padding down the hallway, Katara was grateful that it was not far. Something was mysteriously off about the place. It felt like someone was watching her, like something was lurking around the next bend, and it called up images of massacred air bending ghosts to her overactive imagination. In fact, she breathed an audible sigh of relief when she reached Zuko's door. At least if ghosts attacked, she could shove the prince at them and then run like hell.

Observing that light still peeked out from under the door, she decided he must still be up and probably very aware of her standing outside his door. Bending the water across the catch, she pushed the heavy thing open and stepped inside. Zuko sat next to a small but expensive looking gold oil lamp, his head bowed in sleep, as though he had dosed off waiting for her. The small lantern bathed the room in a golden half light that was enough to see by, but not read or write.

_He's asleep?! _Katara crossed her arms, _It's not THAT late. He is probably faking it. _She wondered why someone would fake being asleep. Maybe he thought she would unshackle him without waking him up and then go. That way he could avoid a scolding.

The thought made her mad. He was HER prisoner. If she wanted to scold him, he should take it and be grateful for the fact that it was just a scolding, and not a scolding and a beating.

Tiptoeing across the floor, she decided to break this sleeping act wide open. When she was close enough, she drew back her hand and punched, stopping her fist inches from his face. He didn't even twitch, there was no flinch to indicate that he had had any idea of the attack.

Katara narrowed her eyes and leaned back, crossing her arms.

_Whatever, he meditates all the time, he must have that inner peace thing down so he accepts the pain and doesn't flinch._ Katara reasoned, _It's obvious he isn't scared of me hurting him. _

There was, however, more than one way to skin a cat, and Katara was by no means out of ideas. In Ba Sing Se, she had learned that a little feminine delicacy could do the work of total brute force.

_If he isn't scared of me hurting him, maybe . . ._ she let the thought trail off and leaned into him, trying to intimidate him by imposing on his personal space. When he still didn't react, she leaned in closer, putting a knee on the bed for more support, and finally, lowered her face to his, feigning a kiss. She leaned in closer and closer, and finally her bottom lip brushed his, and it jogged her back to her senses, and she pulled back, disgusted. Although she kept her eyes glued to his, he never even twitched an eyelash, never gave any sign that he was conscious.

Insulted, though, not exactly sure why, Katara reached out and clasped his face, grabbing his lower jaw roughly. The napping boy straightened hurriedly, surprise dancing across his features. After staring at her, totally lost for longer than she deemed necessary or polite, he seemed to remember where he was and why she was there. He reached up and clasped her hand, trying to pry it from his person.

"You fell asleep." Katara crossed her arms, for some reason, she had hoped he would be pining for her, on his knees by the door. Extra brownie points if he had been whimpering too.

"I gave up, I didn't think you were going to come." He yawned, actually lifting one wrist off his lap with the other as he reached up to stifle it. This conveniently brought attention to the cuffs, and Katara would have bet her favorite water skin that he had done it on purpose to tell her with body language to unlock him and get out so he could go back to sleep.

Of course if that's what he wanted, she planned to do the exact opposite, just to spite him. She would bother him all night if it suited her.

"Why didn't you let Toph check out your scar."

"No. Katara, Look, I don't want to talk about it." Zuko straightened and slid from the bed, suddenly defensive, "It's MY scar!!"

"You let me touch it!" it was more of an accusation than a rebuttal.

"Only because you offered to heal it."

"Only because I felt sorry for your pathetic carcass!" Katara's grip on him became painful.

"Ha! YOU felt sorry for ME?! I'm a prince, I'm rich and powerful, I live in a palace, you're a peasant that lives on the miserable tundra to the south. You're telling me you feel sorry for me?" Their voices had increased in intensity, as they couldn't increase the volume for fear of the sound floating out the open windows and waking their neighbors.

"I still DO!"

"Well, you have a funny way of showing it." There was a long pause, their eyes met and their gaze held, each daring the other to break the connection first. As usual, neither wanted to lose the battle of wills, but Zuko finally turned away, remembering his manners.

"So . . . how exactly did you get it? Earlier, You said your father-" Katara asked, her voice vindictive.

"You know, Toph is over it, why aren't you? Drop it Katara." Zuko hostilely cut her off.

"Because . . ." Katara paused, "I think you really don't care either way but wanted to make it SEEM like it was a big deal."

"What are you talking about?!"

"You're trying to trick me into thinking that getting to touch your face in those crystal caves was some sort of big honor!! Like you don't let just anyone do it!!"

"You're reading so much in between the lines that you're starting to hallucinate a relationship that we don't have!! Why would I be trying to manipulate you into liking me? I thought that was what the hand binding was all about, you know, trust?" Zuko was on his feet by then, "Why would I go through all this just to attempt to trick you into liking me?!"

_Girls were CRAZY!!_

"I don't believe you."

"So? You haven't believed anything I've said lately. Anyways, I said no, I can say no, I don't owe you any explanations." Zuko felt exhausted. This girl was exhausting him in ways Mai's complaining could only dream of.

"You just said you were trying to earn my forgiveness." The smugness had overpowered the curiosity, and Katara grinned at him, "Open up, trust me, and answer the question." She didn't really want to know, she just wanted to make him do something that he didn't want to do, whether that was being tied up and mocked or forced to talk about himself didn't really matter to her.

Zuko felt anger blossom in his chest. He was quite sure he preferred the groveling. Surging forward and grabbing her free hand before she could react, he pressed it hard against his face, his fingers crushing her palm to the jagged and discolored skin. Katara was suddenly scared, and she reached for the water in the air. It pooled around her fingertips and iced into extended claws, which she pressed to the older boy's neck.

"My Father burnt me during a duel!! Do you UNDERSTAND what that's like?!" Zuko's good eye glinted fiercely, and she could feel his jaw muscles working as his seethed, "He slapped me right across the face with a fireball because I dishonored him!! I'm scarred for life and I just don't like people touching me like I am some sort of FREAK!! Okay? Are you satisfied?!" he pressed her hand harder into his face, the pressure of his fingers against her knuckles hurt horribly, and it must have been twenty times that against the tender skin over his cheekbone.

"Are you satisfied?! Have I answered your question?!" He repeated leaning in closer until her face took up all of his field of view. Their noses were practically brushing. Blue eyes stared back, wide and upset, and he could feel her fingers twitch against his skin. The pain cleared his head, and he fought to control his temper. No need to scare the girl into slitting his throat, just enough so that she wouldn't pry any longer.

Katara wrenched her hand from his, but refused to give any ground, and in fact closed distance, getting into his face and yelling back, "No! You're not a freak, but you are unpredictable and unsettling, and that's even worse than being a freak. I never know what I am going to get with you, at least a freak will always act like a freak!!"

"I draw the line at my family issues. I would rather we play humbling 'Trust me Simon says' then talk to you about my childhood. Don't ask again." Zuko stepped back and smoothed his shirt, trying to will his racing heart to calm. He ignored the pain in his face from where her hand had been crushed against it, he knew it would subside eventually.

"Fine then! We'll play one." Katara brushed past him and sat on his bed, crossing her legs "Get down on your knees. Right there." She pointed to the floor in front of her.

"So what now? Are you going to bind my feet too? Or gag my mouth? I know, why don't you tie me to the wall, and beat me to within an inch of my life like you were so keen on doing earlier! Or what about . . . umm . . ." He meant it in jest, but his stomach gave such a lurch that he completely forgot his train of thought. Frustrated, He growled and, still fuming, dropped down in front of her, it was hardly humiliating anymore, perhaps because the novelty had worn off. He pressed his weight into his palms and glared down at the stone floor.

Katara laughed a dry, amused snicker, delighted with his predicament. Looking around, she tried to figure out what to do with him. She hadn't planned their rendezvous, and was a bit stumped as to what she should tell him to do. It was exhilarating though, being in control . . . Toph's comparison of him to an Emu Horse ran through her mind again. If he was her prisoner, she should be able to touch him right? She had heard enough stories of what happened to pretty girls in the Fire Nation Prisons . . . he should be grateful!

Using the tip of the toe of her shoe, she reached out without uncrossing her legs and touched it under his chin and pressed up, forcing his head up to look at her. Even with the unspoken invitation, Zuko didn't raise his eyes, he stubbornly stared off into space in the opposite direction.

Katara scowled. Hello, she should be more interesting than whatever it was he was looking at!! Anger sparked in her, and she reached out and grabbed Zuko's hair, hauling his head up and forward.

"Oww . . . easy, I hit my head this morning . . ." he hissed, but didn't resist.

Uncrossing her legs and scooting closer to the edge of the bed, she used her grip on his hair to turn his head this way and that, to get a better look at him. She was surprised that he gave her his head so easily, she had expected him to stiffen his neck and refuse to budge. She was also surprised how much closer they were, how warm he was against the chill of the room, and how his bound hands were mere inches from her legs.

As if noticing her notice, he lifted his wrists and held them out. For the first time, she observed how long and elegant his hands were, and she wondered how they would feel if she let him touch her. Really touch her, not just yank her out of the way of something or grab her during a fight.

"Please unbind me, Waterbending Master Katara," Zuko pressed his wrists towards her more insistently, "I have gone above and beyond what you have asked. Unbind me and leave."

Katara leaned backwards, It was strangely exciting to watch him squirm and beg. "Keep going."

"Keep going?"

"Mhm. Persuade me."

"Er . . . Please?"

"Say, 'Please Master Waterbender Katara who is better than me in every way and not a filthy peasant.'"

Zuko stared at her, "You're serious?"

Her hand in his hair tightened, not enough to hurt, but enough to warn him against mocking her again. Zuko hunched his shoulders, dropped his arms and pulled them into his chest. He caught sight of his uncle's picture near his bed, and grit his teeth.

"Please Master Waterbender Katara, who is better than me in every way, and not a filthy peasant." Zuko imitated, feeling ridiculous.

"In fact, since you're my prisoner, It's sort of like I'm the princess and you're my servant." Katara played with her lower lip with her thumb, "I could order you to do things . . . having your hands is a privilege, one you would have to earn."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, but didn't reply.

"Heat up the room, it's freezing."

"Katara . . . I don't think-"

"Hurry up."

Giving up on reasoning, he bowed his head, concentrating on inhaling deeply, and then fire bending heat into the room. It was more difficult than it should have been, but he managed. Katara shivered once at the sudden warmth, but a small approving smile graced her lips, and she pulled up her sleeve, looking for the key, having every intention of releasing him and leaving.

"What else would you like me to do?" Zuko asked, surprising them both. Mentally, he kicked himself, she had been about to set him free! Why had he encouraged her to keep up this silly game?! He didn't like the fact that she was toying with him like that . . .

"Um," Katara was caught off guard, "Bow again, like you did earlier for me. I liked watching you grovel." She recovered quickly, "Come on _Prince_ Zuko, show some humility. How can I trust an arrogant jerk?"

"You can't." Zuko scooched back and pressed his forehead into the floor, his hands flat above his head. He felt he had the bowing thing down, he wanted something more, he wanted to fight her, and he wanted her to win and conquer him.

"No, a Water Tribe bow." Katara rolled her eyes, "Do I look Fire Nation to you? Stand up on you knees, yes, and now put your weight on your elbows . . . no, palms up, and look at them. Yes, it's a reminiscing pose, do you know how many bruises those hands of yours have given me?"

"No . . ." Zuko struggled to follow her directions, wondering why he was trembling. More importantly, why he was trembling in anticipation . . . he wanted her to hurt him, wanted her to punish him, he deserved it. He had hurt her, enthusiastically hurt her on more than one occasion.

"How many burns?"

"I'm sorry." Zuko whispered, "I thought . . . I don't know what I thought . . . I thought capturing the Avatar would restore my honor . . ."

"The only person who can take away your honor is you. Or me." Katara told him matter of factually, "As long as I say you have no honor, you are worthless, and I have already told you that we're past the point of apologies. You're going to have to prove it. Do you know how you're going to make it up to me?"

"No." His hands no longer looked like hands, they looked like shapes and shadows, somehow deadly and dangerous, "I wish I could take it all back, but I can't. All I can offer is that you take it out of my hide. I wish I could take every injury I ever gave you and make it up to you somehow."

"Now, Zuko," Katara leaned back and uncrossed her legs, putting them on his back as though he was a footrest. Indulging her grudge was turning out to be a lot more fun than she had originally thought it would be. "I don't think you could do that shackled up."

"No." He was noticing a pattern that if there was 'prince' in front of his name, they were playing their intricate game, and she would act it.

"So you'll have to earn your hands before you can make it up to me, right?"

"I guess so."

"You're giving Aang a fire bending lesson tomorrow." Katara changed the subject, her legs still resting on his back, "I will be there."

Zuko nodded again.

"I will step in, if necessary." As she spoke, her toe played across his shoulder blades.

"I will not give you a reason to, I swear Katara, I've changed."

"I've heard that before." Her voice changed, as though suddenly she was no longer in the mood to play, in a quick motion, her calves were off his back, and she stood up smartly. Katara opened her mouth to answer, but before she had formed any words, there was a huge explosion and the building cracked down the middle. Their facial grapple changed tone and the two clutched each other as they tried unsuccessfully to maintain their balance. Another explosion sound followed the first, and the building shook again, bits of rock started falling from the ceiling, and Zuko threw himself over her, shielding her from the crumbling ceiling.

"What the hell is going on?" Zuko yelled over the falling rocks, "Is it an earthquake?!"

"Get off me!!" Katara squirmed out from under him and stood up, lurching this way and that as the building broke from it's supports and the floor changed angles.

"You're welcome." Zuko muttered, scrambling on all fours after her until he regained his footing, he couldn't put his arms out to balance, so standing upright was difficult. He was suddenly thankful for all the gymnastics training he had gone through at the Royal Academy for Boys.

"Look!!" She pointed at a barely visible figure on one of the buildings hanging from the far canyon, "It's Combustion Man!! You led him here to capture us, I knew it!!"

They could vaguely see a figure in a glider buzzing around the gargantuan man's silhouette, trying to draw his blasts away from the building. Every now and then there would be a stream of wind or rock shot at him, but he simply blasted through them.

"If he was working for me, why would he attack a building WHILE I'M STILL INSIDE IT?!?!" Zuko hissed back, hauling her back behind the cover of the wall of her room.

"HEY!" Toph called from the next building over, she was standing with Haru, and they both were bending furiously, "I can feel the foundations giving, you guys have to get off that tower!!"

"We'll hold you up as long as we can!!" Haru yelled, "And turn off the lamp!! I think that's what he is targeting!!"

"Hey! Katara, what the hell are you doing in Zuko's room in the middle of the night?!" Sokka bent halfway over the balcony, scolding his sister.

Surprisingly, Katara didn't stop to accuse him of leaving the lamp on as a signal, or any other schemes. She grabbed his wrist and hauled him after her just as another explosion rocked the place, and the floor started falling from beneath their feet, bending the water from the lock as she passed and using it to douse the lamp.

"Katara!! Take off the shackles!!" Zuko demanded as they ran, "For the love of agni, take them off so I can fight!!"

"No!" Katara glared, "He's YOUR minion. You can cool off for a bit longer."

They made it to the landing, they even made it up the stairs with the help of an improvised support beam that the earth benders made to help keep the building up. The floor at the landing however, started to crumble, and Katara lost her balance and grabbed for the stone railing. Several pieces collapsed off of it as it took the sudden impact of her weight, miraculously though, it held.

Unfortunately, Zuko slammed into her an instant later, as another explosion rocked the caving structure. The rail then gave up the ghost, and both Katara and Zuko found themselves plummeting through the air below.

"AAAAAAAANG!!!" Katara's screech could have broken glass, and Zuko grabbed onto her waist as they fell. It was clear to see their death waited for them about a minute and a half below unless they somehow got to the wall.

Twisting in his grasp, she reached out and bent, the vines clinging to the wall of the cliff jumped to life like the tentacles he had seen in some less than reputable art books. They reached out and grabbed hold of them, tangling around them again and again, and their freefall turned into an out of control swing.

Slamming into the wall was probably about three times more painful than he bargained for, and tiny explosions lit up behind his eyes. Pressed against him, tangled in her own quagmire of foliage and limbs, he heard Katara gasp and swear softly, under her breath. At least they weren't dead, splattered on the rocks below.

He had thought too soon, and after a few blissful seconds of motionlessness, they began hearing the twanging of vines snapping under their combined weight. Once again they were falling, and this time there was the added unpleasantness of scraping against the rocks as well.

Reaching out, he tried to snag the damn plants, his fingers trying to find purchase as they dropped. Finally, there was a sickening wrench in his arms and shoulders, and he stopped. Katara reacted immediately, wrapping her arms around his chest and clinging for dear life.

Wiggling back and forth and finding foot holds, Zuko tried to get more comfortable, the chains of his cuffs were caught above his head, probably looped over something stuck to the cliff. It was excruciating. They bit at his wrists and their combined weight felt like it was tugging his arms out of their sockets.

"Fuck, Katara, please find your footing!! I can't support you!"

She eased off him gently, feeling around and finding a place to hold to. It was precarious, but sandwiched between the Prince and the cliff face, she didn't think she was in any real danger of falling again.

"See, now aren't you glad I didn't take those off?"

Zuko pictured the black bruises he would be sporting around his wrists for the following weeks, "I'm fucking ecstatic."

Any further conversation was cut short as the bottom most upside down roof of their building broke free and whizzed past them, pelting them with shingles, dust, and rubble. They both were left hacking in it's wake.

"AAANG!!" Katara yelled again, and suddenly a blast hit near them, the cliff face exploding and nearly threw them into the crevice below.

"Shhh, he can hear you yelling and shoot in our direction. Let Aang and the other's handle it."

"Can't you call him off?!"

"From here?!"

"Yes!!"

"STOP!!" Zuko yelled over the racket of the explosions, "STOP OR I PAY YOU NOTHING!!"

Another explosion against the wall, this one hitting only a hundred or so feet away, and Zuko lost his footing and swung wildly. Clouds covered the moon, and suddenly they were plunged into almost total darkness.

Katara swore again, pleading with the moon spirit for help.

"Look, we have to get off the cliff face. I can't bend strappado."

He felt, rather than saw her arms weaving, and water began to form underneath them. Where she was getting it he had no clue, but was infinitely grateful when she froze it beneath his feet.

Reaching up, she struck through the rock his restraints had snagged on, and Zuko whimpered in pain as he lowered his arms. One was definitely dislocated, he was pretty sure he pulled at least three muscles in his back.

"Zuko, there's a ledge. I saw it when the last blast struck, I think we can reach it and sit down. Stay here."

That was one order he was more than happy to oblige.

"Found it, I'm going to lift you down." Before she had even finished the sentence, more ivy was coiling around him. For a few terrifying seconds he was suspended in the air with nothing but Katara holding him. He was surprised at how much faith he had that she wouldn't drop him.

True to his belief, she set him on the ground of the small ledge, it was really more of a crack in the cliff face than a ledge. There was another explosion, and one of the buildings fell clean off the mountain. They could barely see a glider shooting out from under it, just in time. The fight took nearly an hour to finish, and climaxed with a huge explosion that sent several more of the far buildings crashing to the ground.

"Is it. . . over?" Katara asked after a while.

"I don't know." Zuko told her truthfully.

"Fine, We'll wait until first light, then we'll climb back up the walls. Hopefully Aang and Appa will come looking for us before then. . . . are you hurt?"

Zuko nodded, then realized she couldn't see him in the shadow of the cave, "Yes, I need you to pop my shoulder back into place, then, would you mind loaning me some ice? What about you?"

"I think I'm okay." Katara squirmed back further, there was precious little room, "My leg got wrenched when we hit the rocks."

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**You know what I noticed? I have started typing words like 'angle' and 'anger' with two As, and have to go back and delete one of them. I think I gots ta lay off the fan fiction for a while.**

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**Anyways, I am totally tipsy right now, long story involving my mother trying to set me up with someone and me finally conceding because it's been almost a year since my last boyfriend, (wtf guys, I am totally sexy and write hot Zutara fanfic, what more do you want? Oh yea, Jessica Beale). Anyways I feel like I might regret this passage sober, so read and review!!!**

**I mean it.**

**I crave your love.**


	3. Chapter 3: Misogynist

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: T

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

**Note: **This fic runs under the assumption that the Gaang took Zuko prisoner when he offered himself up in the Western Air Temple.

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**Disclaimer:** Avatar is owned by Bryke and Nick. Not me. I know right? Wtf.

I am not making any money on this, I do not claim these characters as my own, it's purely fan made.

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**Chapter 3:**

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"Ugh!!" Katara leaned out of the mouth of the cliff and looked up, peering through the darkness, "Well, that's just great. This is all your fault, you know. Everything you touch just crumbles to dust."

Even though she was livid, she had been all business popping his arm back into place and then helping him ice his back. Unfortunately, as the minutes wore on, she was becoming increasingly agitated. It was like she couldn't sit still, she was practically trembling with the desire to scream at him. How dare he?! An ASASSIN?! How dare he?!

The space was not wide enough to sit cross legged with his back to her, so Zuko had opted for laying down on his stomach, his still bound hands laced under his chin. It was too low of a ceiling for him to stand without hunching over and that made his body hurt even worse, and the chunks of ice melting on his back stayed in place better if he was reclining.

"Didn't you hear me?!" Katara seemed to grow crosser at the lack of response, "I said that it's your fault!!"

"I agree with you."

"Well . . . that's great, what do we do now?!" She shifted taken aback, and took a step out onto the cliff face patting at the rocks, looking for handholds.

"Trying to climb back up in the dark would be suicide." He advised, "I say, wait for the sun to rise."

"You mean, stay here for the next several hours with YOU?!" Katara jutted her chin out in a most unladylike manner, "I'd rather risk falling."

"Suit yourself."

"You're not going to try to stop me?!"

"I would if you were serious."

"GET BENT!!" Katara kicked the side of the wall. Why wasn't he insulted?! Was she so much of a stupid peasant that he wouldn't even be insulted that she didn't want to be around him?! "Well . . . That's just great!! Our friends think we have fallen to our deaths, Combustion Man may or may not be defeated, I'm freezing my toes off in my pajamas, and stuck here with you!! How could this get any worse?!"

The words had barely tumbled from her lips when a huge craggy bolt of lightening sliced the sky in two, and a peal of thunder followed, moments later. Almost instantly, the clouds that had covered the moon opened up, torrent after torrent of raindrops sheeting down to meet her. The soft light dwindled to shreds, and cast them both into an unnerving darkness.

Pivoting and sweeping her arm up over her head, she bent the drops away from her, then leaned out, trying to shout over the sudden clamor.

"AAANG!!! AANG!!" Katara yelled until she felt herself starting to go hoarse.

"You know, Toph can probably feel us right now if her feet are as good as I think they are. They'll probably come get us soon."

"Shut up!" Katara whirled on him, exasperated and terrified, "They'd have to fly down on Appa and then she would get totally disoriented and lose us, don't you know anything?!"

Zuko winced, abandoning the ice and rotating onto his back, propping himself up to look at her with his slanted yellow eyes. Straightening two fingers, a small petal of flame pierced the darkness, throwing the rocks and dirt into a warm, flickering, orange half-light.

"I didn't think so. I mean, who hires an assassin that they can't call off? An idiot like you, that's who." Katara huffed, bending the rain into a sheet of ice she molded over the opening in a makeshift door to keep the rain from blowing in and freezing them further. Maneuvering to find a good spot, she managed to sit leaning sideways against the wall. She curled up, wrapping her arms around her knees, it was cold, and she was no longer in the mood to boss Zuko around. Since he controlled the heat, he had the power, and she had no intention of giving him the upper hand by asking for warmth that he could choose to withhold.

"Can you take these damn things off now?" he moved to a squashed, uncomfortable kneel and held out his wrists.

"No." Katara replied.

"Why not?!"

"Because!"

"You're withholding my freedom because you're mad about something that has nothing to do with me!" he protested.

"You HIRED Combustion Man!!" Katara actually had to reach out a hand and steady herself on the wall with the force of her yelling, "It's TOTALLY to do with you!! YOU'RE NOT TRUSTWORTHY!!! You're not honorable, you'll _never _be honorable, you'll never even be a good person. No wonder both your parents are ashamed of you, the world would be better off if you were dead."

He winced at that, his cheeks flushing in shame, and the flames in his palm extinguished. In a remarkably childlike motion, he turned and hid his face from her, he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing that she had touched a nerve.

_She probably is ashamed of me._ Zuko thought, _All this time, she has probably been hearing about all the horrible things I've done and felt responsible._

"I really messed up," was all he offered from inside the little protection his arms offered against the verbal assault. Begging seemed to get him nowhere, he was out of ideas. She hated him. She would always hate him. ". . . and in case you haven't noticed, I fell out of the building too. I got what was coming to me."

"You're . . . you're a jerk!" Katara seemed to be out of insults, and now that her anger was nearly spent, her huffiness was almost laughable.

"If you say so." He was careful to keep his tone apologetic.

"Are you going to do everything I tell you for the rest of the war?!" She demanded suddenly, crossing her arms as a dry, bitter smile brushed her lips.

"I told you, I want you to trust me."

"And, if I tell you to run naked across the Western Air Temple?!"

"Yes..." It was a lie, but Toph was several hundred feet away, and wouldn't call him on it. He knew he wouldn't, he was pretty sure he wouldn't . . . well . . . he hoped she wouldn't ask, "Yes, But I wouldn't like it."

"Yea right, we both know you like it." Katara accused, jestingly and offhandedly. Unlike him, due to her shorter stature, she could stand fully straight in the fissure, and she took full advantage of it, looming over him, her hands on her hips.

"That's stupid."

Although they were in darkness, Katara must have heard something in his voice.

"Spirits . . . " She blurted, "you DO like it." This time, she was dead serious, the taunting cast in her voice had vanished. Instead, her voice filled with wonder at the sudden understanding she had reached.

"No!" Zuko protested, it had never occurred to him that the enjoyment he was feeling was anything other than karma; of everything suddenly rebalancing. He re lit the flame in the palm of his hand, suddenly he really wanted to be able to see what she was up to.

"Tui and La!" She continued, ignoring his objections, "You're a _misogynist_!!"

"It's masochist." Zuko corrected her, then hastily added, "and I'm NOT."

"Was that why you wanted me to hit you, you sick freak." Katara pushed him hard in the chest, in a masculine confrontational way.

"I wanted you to hit me so you would feel better." Zuko explained, "So you could outlet some of your anger!"

"Of course, because in your twisted, depraved mind, I'm the only thing that matters, right?"

"Katara, I'm not sure you understand the concept of masochism quite right . . ."

"Oh, and you do?!"

"Er . . . No?"

"Were you sitting there crossing your fingers that I would ask you to lick my boots . . . or . . ." Katara frowned, she wasn't sure what else masochists did, and she only knew that much from a joke Toph told once. She wasn't about to let Zuko know that she was so inexperienced though.

"Give me a whipping?" Zuko supplied helpfully.

"Yes. Whipping. Well, you can forget it!!" Katara shoved him again, this time he let her topple him from his knees to his back, "You're vile. On every level! You're dishonorable, your personality sucks, your face is marred, and you can't even make love to someone, you're too deranged." As she listed his faults, she ticked them off, one on each finger.

The tirade seemed to be over, and he could hear her lapse into a snit. Her profile was illuminated in the window, and her feminine nose was thrust high in self righteous disgust.

"You're wrong," Zuko muttered softly, more to himself that to her, "I can bring enough passion to the bed for two people." The way he said it, she was sure it was true, that he knew it from experience, and once again, the small plume of pity ignited in her chest.

The more Katara thought about it, however, the more appealing the situation became. As she stewed, she thought about what she wanted. She remembered Pakku, and how he and his pupils had treated her. She thought about Sokka and how she always had to clean for him, how she was practically the groups unspoken babysitter, mother, and maid. She did feel a certain thrill when she bossed him around . . . and he had offered himself as a prisoner. He had taken enough prisoners himself . . .

He knew what he was getting into.

...

...

...

Whatever sympathy he had been getting from the gang had dissapeared with their trust in him. Sokka and Haru were glaring angrily at him, Aang looked disappointed, and even Toph was shaking her head, her milky eyes downcast. Besides the huge scar on his back from Azula, the Avatar was sporting a healing split lip, and there were huge purple shadows beneath his eyes. Zuko suspected he had spent the whole night awake, worrying about Katara.

The Water bender in question had her back to him, she gazed out across the saddle and into the distance. Absentmindedly, she sucked on her teeth, her eyes narrow. Whatever she was mulling over, he doubted it boded well for him.

Once they had disembarked and met up with Teo and The Duke, she made a big show of fussing over Aang, asking him if he was okay, and if he hurt terribly. She practically showered the boy with affection, but didn't seem to notice that it was being taken in a different spirit than it was given. It only took a minute for Zuko to realize that the boy had a crush on his water bending Sifu. The whole melodramatic show, he suspected, was supposed to make him feel guilty, and augment the group's disdain.

The courtyard was rubble by then. Most of the columns had fallen, but it looked as though Toph and Haru, and probably Aang had started tacking the major supports back together.

"I'm fine, Katara, they're just bruises." Aang told her sheepishly as, in a rather impressive display of bending, she pulled water out of the air and engaged it. It glowed softly in her hands as she pressed them onto her friend and ward.

"YOU STUCK AN ASSASIN ON US!!" Sokka finally yelled, suddenly and out of nowhere, making the whole group jump.

"We have to do something, He can't be allowed to roam free." Katara snapped, and to Zuko's disappointment, nobody argued this time. Not even Toph.

"Yea, but the other building is ready to come down. Thewalls are just too weak." Teo reported, "I suppose we could move his things to one of the undamaged cells here but . . ." Everyone fell silent again, and Zuko suddenly felt very tired. Being hated by your friends put the weight of the world on your shoulders.

"There is a small detaining facility in the temple." Aang spoke suddenly, looking around for reactions.

"Wait a minute!" Sokka's voice cracked, "You're telling me that there is a prison in the Temple?! Why didn't you mention it earlier when we were making a Zuko-proof room!!"

"Well," Aang laughed nervously, "I didn't agree that locking him up was the safest option then."

"And now that he's almost killed us all for the millionth time, you agree." Katara snapped, her voice was sharp, but lacked the usual venom it did when it was directed at the Fire Prince.

"Well . . . yea."

"Okay, Toph? Haru? Why don't you take him down there with Aang." Sokka cut in, trying to break up the fight before it began.

"But-" Katara protested.

"Look here Honey-suck-le," Toph snapped back, "I'm the greatest earth bender in the world, I can handle it. Why don't you go splash in the fountain and _cool off_?"

Katara's eyes crossed and focused on the dirt covered finger pointing at her nose, and she humphed, but didn't protest. Zuko sighed, how were they ever going to defeat the Fire Lord if they were constantly squabbling amongst themselves? Even Azula kept her friends in a more united front.

"Katara can go instead of me." Zuko glared over at Haru, apparently chivalry wasn't dead.

"Alright, I'll show you where it is." Aang said in a manner meant to pacify the group.

"Maybe you should just give us directions." Katara countered, glancing viciously at Zuko.

"Alright, it's west on the canyon side of the temple, You better take Appa with you." Aang advised, but didn't elaborate.

"Let me get my water skins and we'll go."

The dungeon, of sorts, hung like a birdcage off the cliff side. It was only one story, but featured the same upside down ceiling-floor as the rest of the temple, instead of a square wall though, there was a straight row of bars, separating the balcony from the cells with a stone wall on either side and one in the center. Zuko supposed there were four cells, each with three walls and a row of bars facing out. The only access to it originally must have been glider and sky bison. Sometime later, someone must have constructed a link. A completely unusable rope bridge swung in the wind, half it's supports severed and hanging like marionette strings.

The Water Bender glanced at the earth bender, then they both clamored up onto Appa. Zuko found it was a lot harder to get up when he didn't have a full range of motion in his hands, and by the time he had rolled ungracefully over the pommel, Toph and Katara were trying to conceal their sniggers.

"What's so funny?! He asked, defensively.

"Appa, Yip Yip." Katara shook the reigns, and the beast bellowed and took off.

"Hey Sweetness, so, what happened in the cave all night? I felt all sorts of stomping vibrations." Toph asked

"Toph!" Katara glanced over her shoulder from her seat on Appa's head to stare at the younger girl, exasperated, or possibly annoyed "Why does it matter?"

"Just curious," Toph told her vaguely from where she sprawled on the saddle, her legs spread, when it was clear that Katara wasn't going to talk, she oriented on Zuko, "Well Sparky?"

"Nothing happened. We waited."

"That's it?!"

"Well . . ." Zuko scratched his slightly stubbled chin, all this time away from his razor was earning him a five o'clock shadow, "She helped me pop my shoulder back into it's socket."

"And, _You _didn't help _her_ pop anything?" Toph's voice was unreadable. He couldn't tell if she was teasing him or if she was probing, wanting to protect her friend's honor.

"Toph!" Katara spun, her cheeks flushed, As she turned, she yanked the reign, and Appa banked hard to the right, lowing a complaint, "Stop that this instant!! It's bad enough you were randomly yelling his name all yesterday afternoon to startle me."

"Hey, I just wanted to know!" Toph defended, "Last time you guys were in a cave together, well, apparently, you bonded."

"There wasn't any bonding last night." Katara snapped, they had reached the building, and she guided Appa in a circle around it.

"Well, too bad, I was hoping for some bondage." Toph cleaned her ear with her pinky, her voice still unreadable.

Katara had come full circle, and Zuko was glad when she changed the subject, "There is nowhere to land."

"Really?"

"Looks like we'll have to jump . . ." Katara glanced at Toph, "Maybe you should stay here with Appa, Toph."

"Why?!"

"The thing is hanging from a bunch of chains and cables, it's swinging back and forth." Zuko described, "You're not actually going to leave me in there?"

Katara rolled her eyes, but Toph looked unsure.

"Hey, Sparky, lower me onto it, I can tell you if it's safe or not." Toph stood and swung a leg over the saddle and leaned forward, arms outstretched, as though expecting to be pushed.

"Er, maybe I better, Appa . . . stay." Katara instructed, and the sky bison grunted loudly and undulated it's tail.

Carefully, the water bender grabbed Toph's forearms and lowered her down, never actually releasing her in case the building gave. Her feet swiped the stone and she wriggled her toes against it experimentally.

"It's fine guys, the integrity of the building is good, it wiggles a bit when the wind blows, but it was made like that to scare the prisoners, it wont go crashing into the canyon for a few hundred years at least." She called back.

"Alright then,_ Prince_, after you." Katara dug a foot into the rail of the saddle and pulled her back up in one swift, seemingly effortless move. Zuko was impressed in spite of himself, Katara was stronger than she looked. She hadn't even hesitated to consider asking his help. His eyes went from her to the platform. As he watched, a gust of wind hit them and made the thing wiggle back and forth. It held steady though, not a single chip of paint or roof tile dislodged. Taking a deep breath, Zuko stepped back, then ran and jumped, easily bridging the small gap, and landing in a crouch by the ancient bars.

"I'll be right back Toph, then we can see about making a better bridge." Katara soon followed, and without protest, Zuko followed the girl still clad in her night cloths into the nearest cell.

"Sit down." She told him, pointing to the wall.

Zuko sunk to the ground, his back against the cool stone. Katara picked up the chain that linked the manacles and threaded it through a lock in the wall. She didn't look at him or speak to him, her lips pursed in distaste.

"Katara." He caught her wrist as she leaned back and held fast, even though she grabbed at his fingers, trying to pry them off. "Last night . . ." he let the thought trail off, unsure of exactly what he wanted to ask.

"Let me go." She told him coolly, abandoning his hand and uncorking her water skin threateningly.

"When will you be back?" Zuko didn't like the air bender's idea of a prison. It rocked back and forth like a half sunk galleon.

Katara yanked her wrist from his hand, and turned on her heel, strutting out without a word, tossing her long brown hair behind her.

...

...

...

_How many hours had it been_? He had dozed in and out, his wrists dangling limply by his ears in their restraints. His right leg had fallen asleep, his stomach growled, and the wind howled as it whisked past. Something smelled good though, his nostrils flared, even before his eyes opened.

"It's too late today for Fire bending. Everyone is exhausted and sore from rebuilding anyway."

He turned; Katara was leaning against the bars. She had changed out of her pajamas and washed up. She was back in her normal travel cloths, several skins of water piled on the floor around her.

"Tomorrow morning." She continued, "Will that be sufficient?"

Zuko nodded, twitching his fingers and then hooking them into the chain so the weight of his arms no longer rested on his bruised wrists.

"Hungry?" the question was accentuated by the tiniest dip of her head.

"Yes."

Katara produced a covered bowl of rice, meat, and vegetables from amidst her water skins and brought it over to him. Taking off the lid, an onslaught of steam rose, filling the small windswept room with a most delicious smell. As if on cue, his stomach growled, and his arms strained forward above him as far as their tethers would allow.

She made no move to unhook the restraints, and after several seconds of pointlessly groping the air, Zuko whimpered. Every time he leaned forward as far as the bindings would allow, she would pull the morsels just out of his reach. It reminded him of how Azula and Ty Lee used to play 'keep away' after they had pilfered his favorite toy. This however, exceeded any of the cruelty that she had shown, at least then it had only been trinkets.

"Unbind me!" he snapped, "Or are you planning on torturing me too?!"

"Of course not." Katara curled back her lips and bared her teeth into something that might have been a smile. She shifted to sit on her knees between his, and held out the bowl. Zuko crinkled his nose in dismay.

She expected him to eat like a dog!

Zuko looked from her to the bowl, then back at the steaming food. He would need to eat it soon if he wanted it to be hot . . . After a deep breath, he closed his eyes and swallowed his pride. He had thought begging in the Earth Kingdom was bad, at least he could eat like a man and not an animal. At least there nobody knew he was royalty.

He kept his eyes on the plate before him, his face heating. He had been pampered for weeks at the palace, and was unused to this level of degradation. He could not, however, deny the slight clenching of his abs, or the anticipation of the unknown.

Katara had to admit, there was something erotic about watching the high and mighty prince eat like a cur from her hands. He even sounded the part, small snorts, and loud masticating emanated from him as he tried to breathe through the food. Katara wasn't sure why, but every time his tongue darted out, or his lips moved a shiver of heat rocketed down to her lap. She fought the urge to slam the bowl of food up into his face in retaliation for the unaccustomed sensations. He was already buried to the nose, all she would have to do was bend her elbows a tiny bit . . .

She snapped out of her daydream when something wispy wilted onto her forearms, The kneeling Prince, his arms stretched to their limit in the restraints had slumped over, his hair tickling across her wrists.

"Are you finished?" She asked, and watched as the shaggy head shook back and forth in a no. "Then hurry it up."

He did not, however, move to obey, instead, he hauled himself back up to look at her from beneath his bangs. Rice still stuck to his mouth and nose, and he turned to his side, wiping his mouth on his upwardly stretched sleeve. Most of it was knocked off, but some of the more resilient bits still clung to him.

"Is Aang alright?" he asked finally in a tone laced with shame.

"Yes, just a little scratched up." Katara responded, "It was actually Sokka that struck the coup de grace." He really did look genuinely sorry, but she knew too well how the regret could turn to betrayal.

Without another word, the Prince lowered his head again, orienting again on the bowl she held cupped in her hands.

Katara hated it, the way she seemed to spiral back and forth between anger and pity. She knew he couldn't possibly be doing it on purpose. He didn't know her well enough to play her in such a way, but nevertheless, she _felt_ as though he was doing it consciously. She felt like even though he was the one tied up, he had her on an emotional leash. One yank from him and she was angry, then another sudden yank and she was sad, then again, and suddenly she was feeling guilty. Again and again he seemed to lead her in the dance, spiraling around the emotions wildly, and she worried that soon she would become dizzy from it, and soon, she would fall. All he needed was one opening, and then he could strike.

Deciding then and there that she would have to take control of the situation, she dropped the bowl, letting it clatter and roll away on the floor. It was empty anyway, but in an almost canine manner, Zuko whined and strained after it. Katara grabbed his chin and pulled his head up, forcing him to look at her.

_Keep it cool . . ._ she chided herself, taking a deep breath, then another, and counting them, _don't let yourself get angry, he manipulates you when you're angry._

Zuko glanced back and forth, waiting for something to happen, when nothing did, he licked his lips, trying to dislodge any grains of rice that he had not yet shook off.

"Here is how it is going to work." She told him, her gaze locking with his, "Sokka, Haru, and I are going to alternate shifts here with you. Because of my bending, I have the night shift from the eleventh hour to the seventh, then Haru and I will take you to Aang for his lesson in the morning. Since Sokka sleeps late and hunts during the day, Haru has the morning shift, from the seventh hour until the third past noon, then Sokka will be here from then until it's my shift again, do you understand?"

"I know how shifts work." Zuko replied, "I lived on a boat for two years."

Katara let go of his chin in disgust and brushed the rest of the rice off his face in a movement that was more of a slap than a wipe. Zuko winced and tried to shield his eyes with a shoulder. As he watched, Katara snatched up her water skins and flopped down against the wall opposite him, glaring angrily.

...

...

...

"Hey! Zuko, wake up."

Groggily, the Fire Prince raised his head, and then immediately regretted it. His neck twinged from sleeping with his head dangling, and his shoulder still ached. Blinking several times, he saw Katara crouched in front of him, sleep circles dark under her eyes. Had she stayed up the whole night watching him? She must have . . .

Reaching up, she removed the chain from where it was latched to the stone wall, and the Prince's arms dropped limply to the ground. He bit his lip at the sudden prickling sensation of the blood rushing back into them. Unsteadily, he twisted around, his stiff limbs unwilling to cooperate.

_Why did I offer myself as a prisoner?!_ He chided himself, _Why?!_

Surprisingly, a outstretched palm lowered itself in front of his face, and Zuko stared up at it, following the lines of muscle and cloth to first elbow, then shoulder, then finally, Katara's exotic face. As he watched, her lips pressed together in annoyance, and she jerked her hand in place, drawing his attention back to it.

It was an invitation to touch her, one of the first she had given, and Zuko didn't dare refuse it. Clasping her hand with both of his, he let her help him to his feet. As he uncoiled, his joints popped, and although it didn't exactly hurt, he cringed at the sound.

"Appa is just outside." Katara informed him curtly, "Are you ready?"

Zuko nodded, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

Haru sat on the beast's head, absentmindedly stroking his moustache. Appa hovered serenely in place, but the beast's eyes followed them as they clamored onto it's back.

"Yip Yip . . . You look tired, Katara, did you sleep at all?" Haru asked, concerned.

"No. I'll go to bed when Aang's lesson is over." She tried to stifle a yawn, but couldn't, so masked it as a sigh instead.

"Aang is on the west facing fifth floor balcony, is that a good place for practicing fire bending?" Haru asked, steering into the building.

"That's fine." Zuko agreed, happy, at least, to be out of the prison.

They landed quickly, and dismounted. Instead of heading straight out onto the balcony, however, Haru beckoned the Prince towards the building. Zuko followed, jogging to catch up, Katara falling into step behind him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, "Aang is out on the terrace."

"Yes," Haru nodded, pushing one of the larger doors in the hallway open, "But I'm sure Prince Zuko would like to wash up and eat first."

They filed into one of the larger bathrooms, the tiles of the floor were still in good shape, and the fountain in the middle flowed with fresh water. It was a sight for sore eyes, and he was eternally grateful to Haru. He was pretty sure Katara would have kept him from the bathroom for as long as possible, just to make him beg for the trip.

"Katara!" He turned and saw the earth bender trying to shove her back out the door, "This is the men's room, wait outside!!"

"But-"

"Why don't you go get some rest?" Haru was wheedling her down, "I bet it was cold in the wind all night, a bowl of rice would be great right about now." With that, the water bender allowed herself to be brushed out the door, but Zuko would wager anything she was hovering near the door, waiting for any excuse to barge back in and smite him.

Haru at least was trying to be pleasant. He followed the man code to the letter, sitting in silence and feigning disinterest in the whole affair until Zuko came up to the sink and started splashing bended hot water on his face and up his arms. The brunette handed him a bag with some soap and a cloth in it.

"That's got to be pretty convenient." Haru was staring wistfully at the steam, "We always have to boil our water over the stove,"

"We have to build our houses by hand." Zuko replied, soaping up his face, "Do you have a razor?"

"A what?"

"Yea, stupid question." The prince swept his hair up out of his eyes, and dried his face off. It felt good to be clean again, the dust of the dungeon plus his own teenage skin was starting to catch up with him.

"Katara isn't usually so angry . . . she was really nice when I first got to know her."

"How was that?" Zuko asked, curiously.

"In prison." Haru sighed wistfully, his green eyes becoming vacant as he relived the memory.

"I remember, on the barge. I found her necklace."

"Well, she was really nice back then, these days she is so fierce . . ." Haru leaned in, with a conspiratorial smile.

As predicted, Katara was waiting for them right by the door, her shoulder blades and left foot pressed against it, arcing her into a sort of vertical bridge asana. Her lower jaw was jutting out as it usually did when she sulked, and she was swaying back and forth impatiently.

"Finally!" She grumped, pushing off from the wall, "Finish your snugglefest in the boy's room?"

"Snugglefest?" Haru sounded amused.

His tone seemed to disengage the water bender, and she exhaled sharply and stomped on ahead. The two boys had to practically jog to catch up, and by the time they reached her, she was waiting with Aang.

As Zuko watched, she fished in her bindings and pulled out the keys to the manacles.

"Drop to your knees and show me your hands." She ordered, one toe tapping on the floor in front of her, as though he didn't know where the ground was.

Glaring, the Prince dropped to the floor. Being obedient in front of his new pupil and rival, was different from when it was just her. As he raised his arms up to her, rotating his wrists so that the keyhole faced her, his cheeks reddened, and he stared resolutely at the ground between her feet.

The metal clinked open, revealing a bracelet of bruises on each wrist. They were almost black from taking all his weight and hers after the fall. Zuko cringed, raising a wrist to inspect it, then rubbing it furiously, as though the marks would just smudge off.

"Those look painful!" Aang gasped, looking at Katara accusingly, "Why didn't you heal his wrists last night? He got them catching you, didn't he? Wouldn't it have been fair to heal him?"

Katara shrugged, "I helped him with his shoulder." It was all the defense she offered to the interrogation.

"I think we should get started." Zuko cut in, before the debate could wind up into a fight.

Katara and Haru seemed appeased by this, and the two of them shuffled off to the other end of the balcony, out of ear shot, but still close enough to intervene if anything happened. Zuko rubbed his temples, it would be hard enough teaching Aang without Katara's eyes heavy on his back the whole time.

Glancing at Aang, the little boy didn't seem any better. He shuffled his feet back and forth, and his face was pale.

"I know you're nervous, but remember… fire bending in and of itself is not something to fear." Zuko told him, trying his best to sound comforting.

"Ok. Not something to fear."

"But if you don't respect it, it'll chew you up and spit you out like an angry komodo rhino!" Zuko raised his voice, to make his point. If the kid got so much as a singed nose hair, he knew Katara would make him pay for it in blood, "Now show me what you've got. Any amount of fire you can make."

It was pathetic, a thin wisp of smoke rose from the Avatar's fingers. Aang smiled nervously, and scratched the back of his head.

"That's it?! I thought this stuff came naturally to you!"

"Maybe I need a little more instruction. Perhaps a demonstration‌?"

"Good idea. You might want to take a couple steps back." Zuko glanced at Katara and Haru, who were chatting with each other, and crossed his fingers that they could see it was just a demonstration.

Slowly, he inhaled, and then reached for his inner fire, channeling it out his arm and into the atmosphere with his movement. The result was hardly better than Aang's attempt, but the boy grinned and applauded.

"Really great, Sifu Hotman!"

_"_What?! What was that!?‌That was the most pathetic fire bending I've ever seen!" Zuko shook his hands, as though they were the problem.

"I thought it was . . . nice." Aang shrugged then looked down at his toes.

It had been difficult before to conjure up the flames, but he had blamed it on his situation, on the fall, on the cuffs. Rapidly he began bending again, going through several sequences he had learned, easy moved he had mastered as a child. Each failed as spectacularly as the last.

"Why is this happening‌?!?" Zuko demanded, not directing it at anyone in particular.

"Maybe it's the altitude." Aang suggested, "Or your wrists, or maybe you're just tired."

"I guess it could be." Zuko agreed, but he felt ill at ease, "You're probably right. Well, I guess we'll start with basic stance . . ."

"Hey, jerks. Mind if I watch you two jerks do your jerk bending‌?" Sokka had moseyed over, carrying several bowls of rice and fruit.

"Get out of here!!"

"Calm down! Jeez! I was just kidding around." Sokka placed two plates on the floor nearby, then took the other two in Katara and Haru's direction, "Ha! Jerk bending, still got it!!!"

...

...

...

Since Katara was asleep, Haru seemed to take it upon himself to show Zuko around the buildings properly. After he had had the tour, the Earth Bender helped him ferry his things from the crumbling ruin of the inverted pagoda he had been staying in. They even found a large tarp to pull across the bars like a curtain to help repel the wind. Zuko was relieved to move his things, although his clothes he could live without, he didn't want to lose the picture of his uncle, or the crown the man had given him.

After that, He, Haru, and the Duke had continued scavenging the temples for anything useful. Since the Avatar's friends had escaped straight off the battlefield, they had little more than the clothes on their back. They found a battered rice pot and a few moth eaten blankets, but nothing really useful. He had the feeling that the boys were mostly trying to keep him away from Aang and Toph as they earth bent.

Although the bender was nothing but nice to him, Zuko was relieved when he switched off and Sokka took over. Something about Haru unnerved him, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

Sokka had parked himself in front of their makeshift cooking fire pit, and was using the blade of his boomerang to gut and skin his kill. It seemed he was too fond of his sword to use it for such menial tasks.

Zuko hung back, absentmindedly fingering the links of the chains that bound him. Sitting alone gave him a good chunk of time alone with his thoughts, and he used it to fret about his bending. Why was it so weak? As the sun set, Teo joined him, wheeling through the rubble, a sack of uncooked rice and a pot balanced in his lap.

"KATARA!!!!!"

The prince jumped at the sudden yell. Sokka didn't seem to notice.

"KATARA!! DO WE HAVE ANY MORE VEGETABLES!?"

After a hesitation, a sleepy Katara padded out into the courtyard, her hair loose around her face, and one of the tattered Air Temple blankets tight around her shoulders.

"What time is it?" the question was punctuated by a long yawn.

"Nearly sunset." Teo replied, adjusting his goggles over his face before pouring the rice into the boiling water.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?!?!" Katara's eyes grew wide at the fact that she had slept the light away.

"Well, I went in to get you . . ." Teo told her apologetically, "But . . . you just looked so tired, and you were sleeping so peacefully . . ."

"Of course I look peaceful when I sleep!!" Katara drew herself up to her full height, "That's why it's called 'resting'!"

"Do we have any vegetables?" Sokka asked again, undistracted from his bloody work.

"There are some in the pantry, but we'll have to look for more tomorrow, I found a patch of carrots north east of the big waterfall. If Aang comes by, tell him we're going to start our water bending drills as soon as the moon rises." Katara turned and trotted off to her room to dress properly.

Zuko waited until everyone had settled down for dinner. Nobody bothered to call him over for food, nobody cared whether he ate or not. When they were all chewing amiably, he approached the circle of firelight.

"Listen everybody,I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff." Zuko hung his head in shame.

"Don't look at me. I didn't touch your stuff!!" Toph denied almost suspiciously fast, and Zuko made a mental note to inventory his things as soon as he had the chance.

"We moved it, remember?" Haru told him, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the younger teenager.

"I'm talking about my fire bending. It's gone."

"Hahahahaha!!"

Everyone turned to stare at Katara.

"I'm sorry. I'm just laughing at the irony. You know… how it would have been nice for us if you lost your fire bending a long time ago‌ . . . maybe when you were attacking me in the oasis, or when you were attacking me at the riverbed, or when you were attacking me under Ba Sing Se?!"

"You're not the only one his decisions have hurt, Katara." Aang reminded her soflty.

"Well it's not lost." Zuko pressed on, annoyed by her invective, "It's just weaker for some reason."

"Maybe you're just not as _good_ as you think you are."

"Ouch." Toph muttered slowly.

"I bet it's because I changed sides!!" Zuko exclaimed suddenly. He decided not to add that he was also being ostracized by the group that was supposedly supposed to be the 'good guys'.

"That's ridiculous." Katara placidly raised her bowl of soup to her lips.

"I don't know. Maybe it isn't. Maybe your fire bending comes from rage, and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to." Aang guessed, touching his chin thoughtfully.

"I don't know, we have all been hard on him lately." Teo sounded unconvinced.

"Katara has been provoking him an awful lot lately, too." Toph added.

"I have not!"

"Maybe it's because he has been taking it?" Haru asked, "Didn't he used to get mad and fight back?"

" Well, let's test that theory, all we have to do is make Zuko angry… easy enough." Sokka pulled his sword out of his belt and began poking him with it

"OK, STOP IT!!!" Zuko exploded unexpectedly, his fuse spent.

"Well, it's not the anger . . . that's still intact." The Duke mumbled, playing with his food by blowing bubbles in it.

"Only when it's directed at Sokka though," Toph whispered to him, amused.

"Look . . . even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way." Zuko pinched his nose as best he could with his hands bound, "No other benders use their rage to fuel their fighting."

"You're going to need to learn to draw your fire bending from a different source. I recommend the original source." After dispensing the gem of wisdom, Toph popped a cube of meat into her mouth and chewed contentedly.

"By jumping into a volcano‌?" Sokka asked hopefully.

"An active one." Katara agreed, handing Momo a morsel from her plate.

"No. Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of fire bending is." Toph rolled her eyes, un amused by the Zuko-bashing.

"So . . . volcano?" Sokka prompted, his eyes glassy as he imagined it.

"No! No volcano." Toph snapped, "That's something you do with virgins, not fallen princes."

"Then what?!" Zuko asked, Toph's suggestion actually sounded feasible.

"I don't know. For earth bending, the original benders were badger-moles. One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave, that's where I met them. They were blind, just like me,so we understood each other. I was able to learn earth bending, not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earth benders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the world."

"That's amazing, Toph. I learned from the monks, but the original air benders were the Sky Bison. Maybe you can give me a lesson sometime buddy!" Aang patted his pet fondly.

"Well, this doesn't help me. The original fire benders were the dragons, and they're extinct."

...

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...

"You and Aang are NOT going to the sun temple."

Zuko looked up from his revere to study the bender across the cell.

"I don't think we have much of a choice." He replied.

"There is always a choice." Katara snapped.

"You were out voted, let it go. I won't let anything happen to him. I have my part to play in ending this war too. I want my Uncle to take his rightful place on the throne."

"Ha!" Katara stood up abruptly and walked over to his things, and began ruthlessly going through them. "Is that the picture I saw earlier? You carry a picture of your uncle?!"

"Yes." Zuko wanted to protest, he didn't want her to see his things, but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she was offending him, plus, he was also curious as to what Toph might have taken.

Standing up, Katara swept his long red cloak with gold trim around her shoulders and pulled the hood over her face. Something about her trying on his clothes made his pulse jump; something primal and possessive in his nature. He strained against his bonds.

"Why do you even have these things?"

"It get's cold at night so far north."

"You know, I bet Toph or The Duke could use it as an extra blanket," She told him, "Why haven't you offered it to them?"

"I haven't had a chance to, Katara."

She lifted the expensive material to her nose and inhaled, her eyelashes fluttering softly closed.

"It smells like sandalwood." She sighed, and then perked up, remembering, "Do you have hair soaps or bath salts?!" Again she began digging through his things, tossing his twin blades aside then his purse and his great grandfather's crown.

"Katara!!" that triggered a reaction, "That's an heirloom!"

"This?" she picked it up and examined it before putting it on top of her head and checking her reflection in one of his swords.

"It's designed for a man." He told her, then added, "Although it does look nice on you. It makes you look like a Fire Nation aristocrat." This was not exactly true, it was old and tarnished, but no need to annoy the temperamental monster. If one ignored the blue short sleeved haori underneath the luxurious cloak, she could pass as a very tanned, field working fire nation girl.

"Oh?" Katara's voice held it's usual sarcasm, "Think I would make a good Fire Lady? Are you taking applications for the job?"

"No."

"Oh, so you're a fop."

"No!"

"I met someone in the Earth Kingdom, we called him foaming-mouth-guy, and HE was-"

"I am not!" Zuko's fingers involuntarily released a small plume of flames towards the ceiling.

Katara raised an eyebrow, then pulled off the crown and sauntered over, dropping to her knees in front of him. She settled herself down, and then leaned in, using the invasion of his space to intimidate him.

"Well, you've never been anything other than well behaved towards me," Katara leaned in closer and closer, until she could see her breath ruffling the tips of his hair, "You're obviously not a gentleman, so that only leads me to one other conclusion."

As she spoke, the moonlight was stifled by a passing cloud. Zuko heard her mutter something and scavenge around for a lantern. She had so strewn his things this way and that, however, that she seemed unable to locate what she wanted.

"Oil . . . oil . . . oil . . ." she was muttering, her fingertips dragging across the piles of discarded garments and personal effects. Finally, her hand closed on the tank, and she began looking for the next item she would need. "Spark rocks . . . spark rocks . . . damn it, there are a million rocks on the floor . . ."

"I don't carry spark rocks, Just bring it over here." Zuko offered, but was greeted with only silence. She had stopped moving, stopped searching. He could almost imagine the wheels in her head turning as she thought about how safe it would be to let him near the oil and weighed it against sitting with him in the dark all night.

A slow scrabbling sound of shin armor against stone greeted him, and he let out a breath, he didn't realize he was holding.

"Alright, where are you?"

"Over here." Zuko conjured a small fire from his fingertips, casting a ghostly wavering light across the whole cubicle. Katara seemed almost ghoulish, shadows taking form between her eyelid and eyebrows, and above her upper lip.

She measured the thick liquid into the lamp, snorting as she spilled it, and then brought it over to him. Confidently, she returned to her kneel, this time loosely straddling one of his thighs and remaining upright for better access to his hands.

"Here, hold it up to my hands." Zuko instructed, leaning back for a better view.

"Which part do you light? It looks like a tea pot." Katara complained, replacing the lid.

"The part that looks like it should be for pouring. Hold that up." Zuko directed, snapping a small tendril of flame into the ether.

She held it under the blaze for several seconds, then pulled it back.

"It's not lighting."

"Make sure there is oil in the tip." Zuko let the flame peter out, it was too much work maintaining it with his rapidly numbing fingers.

Katara closed one eye, then peered down the hollow shaft. Experimentally, she tilted it forward, then nudged him in the ribs with her knee, signaling him to reignite his fingers. Cooperatively, he did so, and with a sudden fizzle, and a surprised cry from Katara, the lantern lit.

She must have jumped. He saw her legs tense, and her torso falter, and the next thing he knew there were several droplets of burning hot oil splattering across his fore arm. He cried out sharply, even though he was accustomed to burns, and strained against the chains.

Katara muttered a hasty, yet shockingly sincere apology, and put down the lamp.

"Bend it off!!"

"I can't bend oil!!!" She replied, "Oil and water don't mix." As she spoke, she pulled his shirt off, and tore it open, using the cheaper fabric of his travel robes to wipe away the scalding droplets meandering down his flesh.

Taking a few deep breaths to balance himself out, the Prince suddenly became aware of three things, one, he had buried his head into the collarbone of the clumsy water bender, two, that she was blowing softly on his burns and summoning water to her to heal him, and three, he was somehow, inexplicably turned on by the whole ordeal.

She was right, the robe did smell like sandalwood, trying to find the original source of fire bending was ridiculous, and he was a masochist. Before her watery glowing glove reached him, he caught her wrist in his unaffected hand.

"Don't bother." he told her in a mumble, "you said it yourself, I like it."

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**Oh man, next chapter is going to be fun/hard, depending on how much liquor is in my system when I write it.**

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**I know, I know, work on N2CTW, I will, but this chapter was so close to being finished I couldn't resist.**

**Anyway, I always work better when I have a few projects going at once, so when I get writer's block on one, I can leapfrog over to the other for some Zen time.**

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**Anyways, leave me love and I will return it in full with kinky Zutaraness!!!**


	4. Chapter 4: Hot and Cold

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: M __

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

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**Disclaimer: **I am not making any money on this, I do not claim these characters as my own, it's purely fan made. I do wish someone would give me a Zuko stripper for my birthday . . . that would be sweet!!

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**Chapter 4:**

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…

He didn't open his eyes for a long time, waiting for her to say something, but nothing happened. Except for the sound of her dropping his shirt and rocking back onto her heels, she made no noise at all. The wall behind him swayed in the wind in the dangling cell, and it made his stomach turn over. When he could stand the silence no longer, Zuko squinted open his good eye, looking up at her anxiously.

The lantern flame flickered, and the light softened her features to a warm mystery. There was a saying in the Fire Nation that everyone looked good by candlelight, and the water bender was no exception. Not even the grimace of disgust marred her beauty, in fact, Zuko found her even prettier . . . well, pretty was not the right word, he found her more alluring.

_What was she staring at? _

He was relieved it wasn't his pants. He didn't know how the water bender would react if she noticed, and he didn't want to scare her off his lap. Luckily, the lamp was not strong, and the light it cast did not illuminate the hills and valleys of the fabric of his pants well enough to give him away. He shifted, wishing he could adjust himself, his trousers were getting uncomfortably tight.

It was the strangest feeling. Watching him squirm was fun. It was rare that anyone was intimidated by her, and she found that she rather liked it. After being so scared of him for so long, it was only fitting to remind him just who he was dealing with.

"You know," Katara slid closer, and brushed his bangs from his face so she could gauge his expression better in the half light, "I can't say I'm surprised. With a sister and a father like yours, you must be a glutton for punishment if you're always chasing their approval." She pressed the flame closer to the bare skin of his underarm, and he leaned away in the chains. His flinching made the corners of her mouth twitch.

"I don't think I'm the only one who is _enjoying_ themselves." Zuko snapped back triumphantly.

Katara's face fell and with a twitch of her wrist, a few drops of the oil dripped from the spout of the lamp and splattered on the Prince's bare chest. Zuko twisted in the restraints, clenching his teeth together and hissing through them in pain. By then, the oil had heated up to it's full temperature, and the pain was a lot sharper than before. Even though he was prepared this time, he still struggled. There wasn't far he could go, although he writhed, the combination of the shackles on his wrists and the water bender straddling his left leg kept him securely anchored in one place.

"Hold your tongue, you jerk!! I'm not enjoying myself!"

Zuko sagged in the restraints, unresponsive to her comment. The metal bit into his bruised skin, but the pain was minor compared to his chest, so not worth avoiding. His silence and lack of eye contact displeased her. Reaching forward, Katara seized his chin and angled his face up to look at hers.

"Look at me."

Zuko dragged his eyelids open, fixing her with a soft gaze.

"I'm not enjoying myself!" She repeated, panic rising within her syllables, "I'm not sick! Take it back! Say it!! Say I'm not sick!!"

"Does my opinion really matter that much to you?" The remark was cutting, a small victory in a hopeless battle of wills. He had heard her panic and he had fought her. The Prince, it seemed could sense her fear. She gritted her teeth, setting her jaw, determined to embody fearlessness from then on.

Katara let go of his face and tipped the lamp again. This time the liquid splashed across the flat plains of his upper abs, then dripped down, to soak into his skewed gold belt. Again he yelped and wriggled beneath her, then threw his head back and panted, taking long, loud gulps of air and letting his meditative breath control carry him through the pain. For her part, Katara was mesmerized by the jarring rise and fall of the Prince's chest, the way it expanded and defined his ribs, then contracted and defined his abs. She reached out tentatively to touch him, but yanked her hand back as she heard his voice.

"Okay, you win . . ." he replied breathlessly, head still rocked back, oblivious to the contact he had unintentionally eluded. ". . . I take it back, you're not enjoying yourself, but, I never said you were sick. You'll have to take that one back yourself."

Again, the silence stretched between them, each lost in their own thoughts. Katara held back any more invective, letting the older boy catch his breath. He rested his forehead in the crook of his right arm, his mouth open, his breath coming in short gasps, and his good cheek flushed.

"So," she finally spoke, when she noticed he had closed his lax jaw and his frown lines had smoothed, "Would you be torturing me if our roles were reversed? Was that your next step if bribing me with a necklace didn't work?"

He shook his head, but pressing the warm belly of the lamp to his arm threatened him sufficiently. Leaning away from the metal, the prince sighed, defeated.

"I was ready to do what I had to to get the information." He told her, his eyes still closed, "But my uncle wouldn't have let me harm you."

Katara humphed, and he felt her shift her weight where she straddled his leg. Zuko swallowed hard, hoping her knee didn't bump anything he didn't want her to notice. He had half a mind to bait her so she would splash him more, but didn't dare. He wanted her to trust him, and lying to provoke her would only make her hate him more. In the end, he decided that honesty was the best policy and topping from the bottom was out of the question.

"I would've kept you near until your tongue loosened, or until the Avatar came looking for you. My boat had a galley meant to contain the Avatar, I would have locked you there and set a course for Fire Nation waters."

"What would happen to me if I was your prisoner-of-war once we got to the Fire Nation?" Katara was imagining it, probably comparing notes in her head.

"I don't _know_, Master Bender Katara . . ." Zuko hated the interrogation, which was probably the only reason it was continuing, "Probably send you to the Boiling Rock Prison."

"You wouldn't keep me as a prisoner in the castle?!"

"Fine, I would keep you as a personal prisoner," Zuko pinched his nose, an impressive feat, that required stretching up to his hand, "A captive water bending master, a testament to my prowess in combat."

"So? You'd parade me around on special occasions?" Katara was watching one drop of oil dangle tantalizingly from the tip of the lamp. It reminded him of a certain part of his anatomy that, thankfully, had not started to drip . . . yet.

"No," Zuko bumped the leg she was sitting on, shifting her gently and drawing her attention back to him, "I wouldn't keep you shackled."

"Ha!"

"I'm serious." Zuko replied, "Anyone can keep a prisoner tied up, it takes _real_ talent to keep an obedient, unfettered personal slave . . . or at least that's what the general opinion is among men. I wouldn't be respected as a man or warrior if I kept you bound."

"Oh, so I would be a sex slave in the Fire Nation!? Would I cook and clean for you and warm your bed?" she sneered.

He laughed.

Katara bristled.

The lamp capsized again, this time targeting his collarbone and neck. In her haste, she poured more than she wanted to, and it drizzled long and clear down his chest.

His laugh degenerated into a half howl as he bucked at the unexpected pain. It nearly unseated her, and she had to duck to the right to avoid getting banged across the nose by one of his flailing hands.

Katara glanced out across the skyscape, looking to see if any of her comrades had lit their lamps, woken by the Prince's scream. All the rooms, however, remained dark. She turned and brought the lamp down to cast better light across his bare chest. The oil was clear on his skin, but it was easy to see where it had fallen, there were red, swelling blemishes across his sinewy muscles. She followed the markings down to his yellow belt, and reached out to undo it, she wondered if anything had dripped below his shirt, and she wanted to assess the damage.

"NO!!"

Katara jerked the lamp back up, her eyes wide and panicked at the Prince's sudden hysteria.

It wasn't that he didn't want her to undo his belt, he wouldn't have minded that. It was that he didn't want her to get a well lit look at his lap. He didn't want her to see just how much he was enjoying the torture. He was scared she would stop if she encountered proof of his tastes.

"No!" He repeated when he found his voice again, it was starting to rasp from the strain, "No, _Water Bending Master _Katara, I have the entire castle staff at my beck and call!! You think that I would need you to cook and clean?! I have the best chefs in the kingdom at my fingertips, I have servants that have staffed the castle and seen to my family for generations!!"

Katara snorted, as though she thought her cooking prowess was far superior to any Fire Nation chef.

"Why would I let a common peasant keep my bed overnight?" Zuko continued, distracting her, "Especially one as unpredictable as you are. You would be summoned and dismissed like any other royal concubine, and you would sleep with the rest of the harem. You would be an ornament; a bauble. You would have no purpose other than being beautiful, showcasing my mastery, and pleasing me."

"The Fire Lord has a Harem?!"

"My mother disappeared years and years ago." Zuko snapped, "What did you expect? He has not remarried."

"Of course not? Why marry an equal when you could have a stable of subservients?!" The sarcasm dripped from her mouth as tangible as venom, and just as poisonous.

"Why are you angry at me?!"

"Your culture is disgusting."

"At least we don't marry off our girls at sixteen and suppress their natural abilities." Zuko winced, then cringed, waiting for another splash of the oil. He whined a soft, barely audible whimper of disappointment when it did not come.

"How did you know that?" Katara placed her oily weapon on the ground, and Zuko followed it with his gaze. The flame flickered and then grew still, and he leaned a bit towards it.

"Zuko!" she repeated, "Pay attention!"

"I . . . what?"

"The Water Benders, how did you know?"

"I snuck into the Northern Water Tribe, you know." He replied, "I saw the genders of the warriors and benders. It was the Tribe's loss, they would have had no problem liquidating the Fire Nation forces if they had let their women fight for their home as well."

The corner of Katara's mouth turned up in the whisper of a smile, he could see his answer pleased her. Apparently she had a sore spot over the gender battle up north as well. After fighting so hard for her approval, taking her blows, her yelling, her games, and finally her torture, he felt a swell of pride at the acknowledgement. Aside from his uncle, approval was so rare in his family that he knew for a fact that the sudden high wouldn't last, that soon, he would crave more from her.

"Are you hungry?"

The unexpected hospitality caught him off guard.

"I . . . umm . . ."

"Well, are you or aren't you?" she demanded.

"Yes?" Zuko cringed, remembering the last meal that she had fed him, but didn't dare refuse her. Anyways, although his didn't feel like face planting into a bowl of rice, the thrashing had worked up an appetite.

She retrieved the lamp, dismounted, and then walked across the cell. Without her straddling him, his leg felt unpleasantly cold, and he hoped she would sit astride him when she returned.

"Oh, of all things!" he heard her mutter, then she turned to him, "Zuko, do you have a pair of chopsticks in your things?"

Zuko did, in fact, have a pair. They were hand carved and inlaid with jasper, and matched his favorite bowl and tea pot. It was one of the few things he had taken, as they were a necessity, and although they were nice, they were by no means priceless family antiques.

"No." he replied, as sweetly as possible.

"Ugh."

To his short lived disappointment, she sat between his legs, a covered bowl in her lap. It held enough rice and meat for both of them, she must have been planning to feed him all along, or at least to be prepared if he woke up hungry. Of course, she was the team's matron, and probably succumbed to the paradox of wanting to make sure he was both fed and cared for, but also restrained and uncomfortable.

After splashing off her hands with a small water snake, she uncapped the lid, selected a bit of meat, and popped it into her mouth.

"It's cold." She informed him, before picking up another bit of meat and reaching up, pressing it to his lips, ". . . but it's food. Open your mouth."

Zuko glanced around the room before, slightly stunned, opening his mouth. He didn't know why she had decided to feed him this time, maybe because she was warming up to him, maybe because they were sharing a bowl. Secretly, he hoped it was because she was beginning to trust him more, and if he behaved himself, she would untie him.

Katara was right, the food was cold, and slightly congealed. It was Komodo chicken, Sokka must have caught one during the hunt, and he felt a sudden pang for his uncle, it had always been one of Iroh's favorite dishes.

"If you unhook me, I can heat it for you." He offered.

"I'll risk it cold."

This time she selected one of the wild carrots and fed it to him, her fingers brushing across his lower lip. They were warm and sticky from the food, but nevertheless, he had to suppress a shiver that ran the length of his spine from somewhere behind his ears to his shaky knees. She wasn't trying to be sexy, she wasn't trying to seduce him, but the act was so motherly that it triggered something deep inside him, some unnamed, suppressed psychological need.

This time, instead of swallowing straight away, he exhaled a small, controlled burst of flame into his mouth to warm the vegetable up. The sparks died as soon as they consumed the limited oxygen in his closed mouth, but left the outside of the food pleasantly warm.

"What did you just do?" Katara was awkwardly trying to pick up a clump of rice, "You fire bent, I saw the sparks."

Swallowing his mouthful, Zuko responded.

"I was just experimenting."

"Can you heat the whole thing with your mouth?"

"That clay bowl won't hold up against a fire blast." he replied. It would heat, then shatter, and they would both be hungry and annoyed for the rest of the night. "If you put something in my mouth, I can warm it for you." He offered tentatively, doubting she would go for it.

"Eat something that's been in your mouth?!" Katara pretended to gag, "It's just so . . . tempting, but I'll tough it out, feel free to keep experimenting though." To emphasize she picked up a carrot slice and chewed on it delicately.

"Suit yourself." He replied before opening his mouth again to accept a bamboo shoot. With another small shower of sparks, he chewed slowly and swallowed, watching the bender picking through the food, selecting the morsel she wanted, then raising it to her lips. She obviously enjoyed the ocean kumquats the best, as she picked out most of them and ate them first. Zuko didn't mind, they always tasted odd to him, and as a child, he would avoid them whenever humanly possible.

The silence hung heavily between them, and thickened when she ran out of meat and vegetables and began picking up the clumps of sticky rice. Eating the staple food by hand was a lot more difficult than it looked. Katara was trying not to make a mess, it was almost adorable. She had to tilt her head all the way back and slip her fingers into her mouth almost to the second knuckle to get all the grains off them.

Afterwards, she hesitated, looking from the bowl, to him, then back to the rice again. He thought for a minute that she was going to put it away and return to her morass of anger and hate, but instead, she repeated herself.

"Are you sure that you don't have chopsticks? It seems like only an idiot would leave home without them."

Zuko shrugged, evading the question by focusing on the comment.

"I thought we would be eating a lot of ash bananas."

With a long, annoyed sigh, Katara primly picked up a cluster of rice and moved to feed him. Unlike before where she had simply touched the diced food to his lips, this time she had to press her fingers fully into his mouth to accomplish the feeding. It was surprising to say the least, he wouldn't have thought she would let her fingers so close to his teeth, not after their previous sessions together, but he wasn't about to complain.

For the first time, he tasted her skin, and he sucked on her fingers gently, cleaning them off. He heard her intake of breath, and thought he saw a slight blush climb her neck and dust her cheeks, it was hard to tell past her skin tone in the half light. Almost angrily, she yanked her fingers away and wiped them on the hip of her robe before scooping up another mouthful for herself.

When she went to feed him again, Zuko noticed the slight grimace, and the way she pressed her lips together. Her expression said one thing, and her manner another, because when his lips closed around her hand, he saw her inhale sharply, and lean several inches closer. In fact, her body language outright betrayed her.

_Is she . . . enjoying this?_ He knew she seemed to like hitting him or scolding him, but he had never really considered the fact that she could just want him. All the men in his family were handsome, he would have been too had his face not been disfigured, and from what he observed, the only boy she had spent much time around growing up was her brother.

Inwardly, he rallied himself.

The next time she fed him, he ran his tongue along the pads of her digits, slipping it between them in a feigned effort to eat. Her fingers must be sensitive if she gasped from the soft caress and little bit of suction.

Katara hesitated, unsure of what the Prince was doing. His tongue was surreal, unlike any other sensation she had ever felt, and she looked around, unsure of how to respond. She was almost positive that he was baiting her, but she didn't know how it was supposed to carry into a fight, and she didn't want to seem like an inexperienced child again by accusing him of the wrong thing.

_Katara, Misogynist . . . really?! _She cursed herself mentally.

There was definitely no rice in his mouth now, she realized, snapping out of her reverie, and he was **definitely** still nursing her fingers. She felt his teeth brush her for an instant now and again, but inexplicably, she was confident that he wouldn't bite. Truth be told, suddenly the idea of getting bitten was a lot more tantalizing than it would have seemed hours earlier. His tongue was warm, hot really, both literally and figuratively, and a lot stronger than she would have thought it to be. Instinctively, she felt the compulsion to lean forward and offer it a more sensitive area, but fought it.

She felt the goose bumps rise on her arms, even though she wasn't cold, and her breathing became shallow, although she wasn't winded. The sensation of being both hot and cold, giddy and clear, was not something entirely unfamiliar. She remembered feeling the same way when Jet had wrapped his arm around her and carried her up to the treetops. The pressure on her waist, his masculine scent, the sudden twisting of her abdomen, the intoxication of being so close to someone so . . . _handsome_ . . .

Katara heard a loud, throaty moan, and it shocked her back to her senses when she figured out it had echoed from her own throat. The fire bender prostrate in front of her even stopped mid-caress, tongue still intertwined with her index finger and thumb, to stare up at her, wide eyed with surprise.

With a sinking feeling suspiciously close to reluctance, Katara yanked her hand from his warm, sensual mouth.

"You . . . You burnt me!!"

The Prince's expression of shock turned to one of dumb disbelief.

"You're . . . insane."

Katara was too busy trying to save face to listen.

"I thought you were a Master Fire Bender!!" She hissed, her voice, however, was frantic, rather than angry, ". . . and . . . you . . . umm, you should be more careful!!"

"I was being very careful."

"I . . . you . . ." Katara was at a loss, and Zuko bit back a small, triumphant smile, "You think it's funny?!"

"Of course not," Zuko did his best to look abashed, even though he knew he was entirely blameless, "I'm sorry, Water Bending Master Katara, next time I will not burn you. I don't know how I let it happen this time."

"Next time?" Katara weighed this in her head, and then spoke a little falteringly, "I mean, if you really can't help but . . . you know . . . burn me, umm, I'll let it slide-" her expression became fierce as she regained her composure, "-For now."

The Prince nodded his head, and then looked away. He had thought it would make her angry that he dared come on to her in such a fashion. Instead it seemed to have the opposite effect. The way she had delicately parted her lips, her top teeth pressing lightly into her bottom lip, and half closed her eyes in bliss had been just about the furthest he could have gotten.

"Aren't you going to heal yourself?"

"Hmm?"

"Your fingers." He clarified innocently, "They must sting, you should at least put some ice on them if it's not worth the energy to heal them with your bending."

"Oh . . . right." Katara bent another small snake of water from her skin and then coated her fingers with it, and froze it into ice claws. They were far blunter than her usual variety, but then again, she was basically just using them as elaborate finger sleeve excuses.

He watched her bend, and felt a secret thrill at the movements. He had always liked watching the water benders move, and the fact that she was one of the best in the world was equally thrilling. He adored the idea that he could fight with everything he had, and she would easily be able to hold him off.

Zuko sighed and closed his eyes, his stomach was full, and his eyelids were getting heavy. Although she had slept until dinner time, he had been up since dawn, and fatigue was weighing heavily on him. He didn't think she would mind if he dosed off, she would probably want to get back to sulking on the far wall.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a freezing pressure slid down his still stinging chest. His eyes flew open in shock, and he saw her pressing her ice coated fingers against the red, oiled welts that dusted his chiseled anatomy.

"What are you doing?!"

Katara looked up, her right eyebrow raised a bit higher than her left.

"Well, like you said, these must sting." A slightly wicked expression graced her features. The look would have been more appropriate on Toph, but was still sufficiently mischievous on the water bender.

"That's really cold!!" he complained, sleep forgotten, and he tried to curl away from the ice.

"Tough it out, I thought you were a warrior!!"

Zuko muttered something but bit his lip as she lowered her icy fingertips for a second time. He gasped as the ice was pressed to his chest again, this time over the welts across his abs. Katara, bent another snake out of her skin and froze it, then applied it to his upper arm, encasing it with her element. Every time a fresh layer of water was applied to him, Zuko cringed. She was enjoying herself far too much at the sight of his discomfort.

"Stop fidgeting!!" Katara grabbed one of his flailing knees and forced it back down.

"Stop yelling at me!!"

"Stop yelling back!!"

Zuko stilled and then glared up at her, a look she returned whole heartedly.

". . . and stop scowling at me!!"

"Make me!!" Zuko bit back.

After a long minute, Katara reached down deliberately and grabbed the tie of his disheveled shirt. Pulling it out from around his waist, she wrapped it around his head, covering his eyes.

"Wait! What are you doing?!"

Zuko grabbed for the makeshift blindfold, trying to tug it back off.

"Stay still." He heard her command, "You're earning my trust, remember?"

With a long, deep inhale, he let go of the fabric. Slowly, he let the breath out through his nose in a grunt of acquiescence. The sudden darkness made everything around him much more acute. Suddenly, he could feel every wiggle of the windswept stone underneath him, hear every clink of the chain. He could even smell her hair, and the exotic seaweed lotion that she used on her skin.

He tensed, suddenly unsure.

Katara, however felt suddenly liberated. The feeling was akin to wearing her fancy clothes for hours on end at a stuffy party and finally being able to kick them off and relax. Sitting back on her ankles, she looked freely at the Prince, who was turning his head this way and that, stressing about what was going to happen next.

She was tempted to pick up the oil lamp and torture him with the heated liquid some more, but she knew that it was really too much of a waste of oil. She didn't want to run out halfway through the night if the moon stayed shrouded. Instead she pulled his shirt the rest of the way open, ignoring the soft, suspiciously sexual whimper that came from the Prince, and sliding it part of the way up his arms. Pretending to fiddle with the lamp, Katara assessed the damage . . . and admired the view. It was a rare opportunity, to be able to look at him for as long as she liked without him knowing. In fact . . . the full impact hit her full on . . . he couldn't _see_ her. He couldn't _stop_ her.

He _wouldn't _stop her.

_She could do anything she wanted . . ._

"Katara?"

He definitely sounded nervous.

"Ok, you made your point, I won't glare back . . ."

She bent what she estimated was a liter of her water from her bag and activated it so it shone like the moon with healing light.

"Master Water Bender Katara? Can you hear me? Umm . . . You can take off the blindfold now," Zuko was becoming agitated with the lack of response. In the silvery light, she could see the hairs on his arms and chest standing up.

Abruptly, she froze the water and lowered it onto his chest.

Of all the reactions she was expecting, the one she got was probably one of the furthest from her ballpark. Anger, yelling, more complaining, maybe a swear, that was the Zuko she knew. Instead of any of those things, he collapsed down to the floor, his arms still strung up over his head like some sort of macabre puppet. He yelped, and sparks flew from his fingertips, showering them both so Katara instinctively ducked and covered her hair. Most startling of all, in a knee jerk reaction, he wrapped his legs around her waist, his knees clamping down on her in a ditch effort to stop the temperature tormenting.

_So close._

_Too close._

Katara grabbed for his thighs, attempting to pry them off of her. She had forgotten about her still iced fingers, and was unprepared for the sudden stream of unintelligible curses that lit the air as she froze through the thin silk pants and chilled the sensitive flesh of his inner thigh. She could, however, discern her name, over and over again, and she wondered for what felt like a long instant what was provoking such an outburst until she looked down at her ice encased fingers.

Or more accurately, what exactly her ice encased hands were pressing up against. At first, it did not compute.

"Zuko, are you carrying a weapon?! I c-" Katara blushed and emitted a half strangled squeak before wrenching herself forcefully from the leglock and retreating to press against the far stone wall.

Where it was safe.

Her cheeks were burning hotter than they would have if the Prince had bent them full of fire. She pressed her face into the chilly stones of the wall, and tried to clear her mind; tried to forget.

_Idiot!!_ Her mind screamed, though she wasn't sure if it was directed at the Prince or inward.

"Katara?" Zuko was craning his head around the room, trying to listen for her. She was thankful he couldn't detect body heat the way Toph could vibrations. "Katara, Where are you?"

She didn't answer, but did sink slowly to the floor, watching him orient on the sound of the fabric of her shirt scraping across the stones as she descended. He turned his head to her, and she noticed that his knees were raised and pressed together, and he was blushing as well.

"Look . . ." he was bargaining, "Can I take off the blindfold?"

Katara shook her head, humiliated, then remembered that he could not see her. She hummed a short negative, and watched him slump in the cuffs.

"Look, I'm sorry." He was apologizing, "I can't control it . . . It was the oils, It just-"

"Shut up!" Katara balled her fingers into fists and pressed the heels of her hands into her temples, "Just don't say anything!!"

Zuko clamped his jaw shut mid excuse, trying to think of unsexy things to cool his desires. Surprisingly, ice to his manhood had not doused them, it had, in fact, after he recovered, sharpened them.

Katara took a deep breath and stood, gathering the shattered bits of her self confidence and reassembling them. Slowly and deliberately, she walked back over to him, making sure her footsteps landed noisily on the floor. She saw him flinch every time her foot fell, it was barely noticeable, he was trying to hide it, and she suppressed the desire to kick him in the shin while he was vulnerable but expecting it.

"You're my prisoner." She reminded him, conveniently forgetting the fact that technically, he was Aang's prisoner, "and I can touch you wherever I want."

She saw his hands wrap around the chains of his cuffs and squeeze them. He wanted to hold on to something, and he clutched the metal like a child would a security blanket. Katara sneered, the detestable excuse for a noble was probably fantasizing about a million different things that she was about to do to him.

". . . and if I do," Katara continued, but faltered, ". . . If I do, I will expect you to behave much more tactfully. Otherwise . . . otherwise I'll make you sorry."

Zuko nodded, the water bender hardly held a candle to his sister in the eloquence department, but there was no doubt in his mind that she would make good on her threats.

"Now." Katara bent the water she had been using from the ground and refroze it around her fingers, then knelt down next to him and placed her iced over hand onto his knee, "Do you understand?"

Zuko nodded, part of the belt sliding down his nose, but still covering his eyes.

"I said, do you understand?!" Katara slid her hand down several inches, her ice capped fingers brushing along his inner thigh, stopping several inches closer to his hip.

"Mmm!! You told me not to talk!" he protested.

"I asked you a question, I expect an answer!" Again her fridged hand moved, coming to rest at the midpoint, halfway along his leg.

"Yes, of course I understand you!!!" He was shouting by now, his knuckles white where they gripped the chains.

Another few inches, and Katara's fingers were three fourths of the way down his leg, the ice by then was melting and dripping, soaking through his pants and leaving dark circles in the fabric.

"Yes! YES!! Master Water Bender, Princess of the Southern Water Tribe, Warden, and slave driver Katara!! I understand and apologize for not voicing it sooner when you commanded me to!!" Zuko's voice was raised in desperation, and Katara released him, taken aback by the volume increase.

"Good." She muttered, pleased with the victory and the Prince's sudden show of submission and assent. Her fingers were turning numb, so she bent the water to her other hand and froze it again, then shifted closer and leaned over him, putting her palm flat on the ground on his other side for balance.

"So, if I want to touch your face . . ." she let the sentence hang, and then pressed her fingers to his jawbone, trailing them slowly across his skin so the cold sunk in.

"I comply." It was a mumble, as though he was afraid to move his jaw.

"And, if I want to touch your neck . . ." flipping her hand so that her iced over nails pressed against his flesh, she trailed them down his neck, stopping only to curiously caress his Adam's apple as he swallowed hard.

"I comply." He repeated, tilting his head back to give her better access to any skin she wanted. His mouth suddenly felt dry.

"If I want to touch your chest . . ." Katara splayed her fingers out and pressed her palm flat to his peck. It was still dotted with welts, but they were fading. She slipped her hand down, stroking him as though he was a buffalo deer.

"I comply." He torqued away from her, stretching his left side open and letting her torturous ice play to roam down his side, over each rib, and then down across his navel. He gasped as the freezing sensations circled his belly button, and his abs contracted on their own accord.

"If I want to touch . . ." Katara trailed off, her singers trailing back upwards. She could not deny the building heat in her abdomen, and the sudden desire to get closer to him, to hear him beg.

"I com-mmMM!!" Zuko suddenly arched up into her right hand as the ice slid over his bare nipple. She could hear the soles of his boots scraping across the floor as he drew his knees up. Unfortunately, Katara refused to budge, soaking in the sounds the prince made. "IcomplyIcomplyIcomply-" He was repeating it over and over again, like a mantra. She wasn't sure if it was even directed at her anymore. The scarred Prince was shaking his head no back and forth and back and forth, and yet the tone of his voice and words uttered begged for more.

The movement of his mouth was hypnotic. Katara was drawn to it like the night moths were to her oil flame. Leaning forward to get a better view, she trailed her fingers up, back up his chest, back up the sinews of his neck, then across his jaw as it moved in the familiar chant. The rhythm of the litany, the pain of the oil and ice, and the sensory deprivation had worked him into a sort of trance.

"If I want to . . ." her fingers moved traitorously towards his lips, then ran over their soft flesh, and her own parted, at the thought. She could kiss him if he wanted to, it wouldn't take much, he wouldn't protest, in fact, his body very clearly stated he wanted it, and she wouldn't have to worry about any further advances because he was tied.

He had stilled, every muscle in his body was tense, his breath held. The restatement of his assent choked back in his throat.

He was waiting for what she was going to do next.

"Katara?"

It was her name. He had said her name. His lips and breath had brushed hotly over her bare skin, and she realized the last of the ice barrier she had had melted. It was just her fingers, and his mouth.

Katara took a deep breath, it had stopped being about hurting him long ago. It had become something different, something that she didn't entirely understand.

She ran her thumb over his bottom lip. Felt the sharp intake of breath. Her own jaw opened a centimeter, and her mouth watered with a hunger unrelated to any food.

She could do it.

She _could._

Moving her hand to one side, she leaned closer she could feel his breath on her face, she could pick out the stubble that dotted his cheeks. He smelt like smoke and spices, things that whispered promises to carnally scorch your mouth and set your skin aflame.

It would be for real this time, not to see if he was faking sleep. Not to see if he would be repulsed by a Water Tribe peasant touching him. Not to see if he thought she would defile him.

Reaching up her free hand to cup his face, she took a deep breath, rallying her confidence.

"Spirits Katara!!" Zuko suddenly threw his head back violently, narrowly missing accidentally head butting her, "You're an excruciating tease!! Hurt me, scratch me!! please!! PLEASE!! Don't just sit there, _PLEASE!!!_ I'm begging you! Do you want me to beg? I'll beg for it, hit me, please!!"

She frowned, suddenly very very angry at the bender. Snatching the makeshift blindfold, she yanked it from his head and stood up, fingers clenched in anger.

Gold eyes looked up at her, confused and aroused. He obviously had no idea what she had been doing, and no idea why she had stopped. Katara didn't care. Grabbing the lamp she stomped off in a rage, taking refuge in one of the neighboring cells.

He called for her for the better part of an hour. Asking her to come back, apologizing for the outburst, even offering to make up for it in several creative ways. He offered to take her diner shift, he offered to shine her boots and armor, he offered to heat her water for a bath, and he offered to keep Toph off her back. He even offered to run through the Western Air Temple naked.

Katara put her hands over her ears, and when she finally pulled them away, the only thing she heard was the wind whipping through the inverted buildings.

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**Whooo!! Zutara bondage sexyness!!! I have so much fun with this fic!!!**

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**Yea, I know I know . . . I'll go Write ANTCTW now . . . . ::sigh::**

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**Special thanks to Sumhope!! We bantered a bunch of ideas back and forth for this, especially on how to make it kinky without making it contrived. Anyway, you should definitely go check out Sumhope's fanfic, it's called Shell Shock**

**http : / / www dot fanfiction dot net / s / 4504055 / 1 / Shell _ Shock  
**

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**Leave me love, I love reviews, and the more loved I feel, the more I want to spread the love by writing explicit kinky Zutara love scenes.**

**So basically, reviewing my stories is a win-win. **


	5. Chapter 5: Ancient Architecture

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: M

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

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**Disclaimer: **Fan work only, I don't own the Avatar the Last Airbender series. If I did, you can bet it would have been Zutara, gone for more than three seasons, and only been appropriate for Adult Swim . . . or HBO.

Maybe Bryke should have worked the sexy angle, I hear they had more adult fans than children.

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**Chapter 5: Ancient Architecture**

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Katara knew it wasn't rejection.

Deep down, her mind knew.

He had been blindfolded. He didn't _know_ she was about to kiss him. He had thought she was toying with him. She had been. She _had_ been playing with him . . . until she wasn't.

She knew it, but she somehow, could not _believe_ it.

Somewhere in between feeding him and torturing him, things had changed. She used the heel of her hand to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. They were tears of humiliation, hot and thick on her face, and she was careful to make no sound with her sobbing. She didn't want Zuko to get wind of how stupid and immature she felt.

"Katara?"

Raising her head out of the cradle of her arms, she stared stupidly up in the morning light, trying to identify the source of the noise.

Haru offered her his hand, and she took it gratefully, pulling herself up and brushing off her blue chemise.

"Katara! What happened!? Why are you crying?! What did he do?!" Haru's brow furrowed, and his expression became fierce and protective. With his obstinate, earth bender attitude flaring, he whirled around and stomped to the neighboring cell, "Zuko!! What did you do!!??"

"I don't know!!" Zuko rattled his chains defensively, "I didn't do anything!!"

"You must have!!" Haru was cracking his knuckles in a threatening way.

"I've been chained up all night!!" The temperature of the air was rising as the two butted heads.

"Then why is-" he stopped as Katara grabbed his sleeve and yanked, turning the brunette back to face her. She didn't want a squabble to break out between the powerful earth bender and the fire prince. It was a stupid risk to take, and they would no doubt hurt each other in the scuffle over her wounded pride.

"I'm fine, Haru," She hoped her eyes were not as swollen as they felt, but she had a sinking feeling in her gut that they were. Zuko was staring at her with an intensity she wasn't used to, his eyes calculating. He was adding up her protests, Haru's shouts, and the events of the previous night, and drawing his own conclusion.

Her cheeks burnt like the Si Wong sands in the noontime sun, and she pressed the keys into Haru's fingers before snatching the dishes from the floor and fleeing out to Appa.

Zuko bristled under the brunette's accusing gaze. He knew Katara had been crying, but resented the fact that he was automatically blamed. He hadn't done anything!! He had enough experience to know, however, that there was almost always _something_ wrong, it was just a matter of figuring out what.

"Katara?" he asked as Appa ferried the three of them through the maze of buildings, "Do . . ."

The sentence died in his throat as the water bender gave him a disgusted scowl, then crossed her arms and torqued her whole body away from him. Zuko stared at her back for a moment, then sighed and leaned back in the saddle, resigning himself to the silent treatment.

Haru, from his spot on Appa's neck stared at the two sulking teenagers for a minute over his shoulder. Katara seemed to be giving the boy a lot of attention, even if it was negative, she was even still wrapped in the boy's cloak, and Haru didn't like it. He reminded himself that it was probably nothing, and that the Prince was honorable, and would never make a move on the younger water bender.

. . . still, one had to be blind not to see the chemistry. Metaphorically blind, of course, Toph had picked up on it before anyone else.

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Aang was waiting to hop on his best friend with Zuko when they arrived back at the courtyard with the fountain. Instead of raising a fuss like everyone was expecting her to, Katara flounced off without a word to anyone else other than to say that she was tired.

"What's up with her?!" Sokka asked the group in general once his sister was safely out of earshot.

Teo and The Duke looked at each other and shrugged. Toph laced her fingers back behind her head and rocked onto her heels, her face blank, but her eyes smug.

"She was upset when I found her." Haru snapped, sliding off the bison, and Zuko soon followed.

"Why was she wearing your cloak?" Sokka demanded upon hearing this, and Zuko held up his hands defensively.

"I guess she got cold. Nothing happened."

Sokka looked at Toph, and when she apparently did not notice, he said her name, asking for verification.

"He's telling the truth." Toph told them, though she couldn't get a clear read off of him. Katara was angry, not injured, so no need to stir up trouble. She would just pump the water bender for information later, after she had cooled off. Although she wasn't keen on the Prince anymore, he had been telling the truth that he hadn't expected the Assassin to show up, and that he was sorry.

"I brought your swords!" The Duke offered the Prince, "And the three daggers that you had stashed away."

"Thanks." Zuko replied, taking the sheath and affixing it to his back.

"Be careful."

Toph waited with the rest of the boys for several minutes, she presumed until Appa was out of sight, and then, excited about her morning off, agreed to go swimming with The Duke and Haru.

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Katara threw herself face down on her bed with a growl, and then grunted as she remembered that the monks beds were made of rock. She was surprised, however, that a fold of fabric fell over her eyes. Lifting it up, she saw that it was the hood of Zuko's cloak; that she had forgotten to remove it in the scramble.

Now that she was looking at it, she could not help but notice the smell that still clung to the weave. It smelled like sandalwood and him, like his hair, and after a quick, guilty glance at the door to her cell, she pressed her nose to it and inhaled. For a minute, she reveled in the sensation, then, disgusted by her addiction, threw the cloak into the corner and stood back up.

She needed to be out of her room.

She needed to be doing something with herself.

Water bending, was of course, her first impulse, but after warming up, she found it nearly impossible to clear her head. She kept replaying the previous night over and over again, critiquing herself, thinking up what she should have done or said instead, and berating herself over the way she had behaved.

_How could I have been so bold?!_ She asked herself, _What possessed me?!_

Finally, after rethinking the scene for the hundredth time, Katara dropped the water she was working with and declared bending practice a failure of epic proportions.

Climbing back out of the pool, and nearly frightening Teo to death as she stomped by, still dripping wet from her exercise.

"Katara!"

Turning, and doing her best to look calm and collected she nodded a greeting.

"Hey Teo? Why aren't you hanging out with Haru and The Duke?"

"They're swimming with Toph, and my legs hurt, I didn't feel up to it."

"Do you want me to ease them?" Katara offered, sympathy filling her voice, "You're not getting bed sores, are you?" She felt bad for him, Teo was sensitive about uncovering his legs, so it was no surprise to her that the younger boy had opted out of the group swim.

"No, I'm fine. Actually, I was wondering if you would help me, since they're busy and Sokka is fishing."

"What do you need?" Katara decided that helping Teo with his inventions might be just what she needed. Her brain would be so busy adding numbers and figuring out solutions that it would be too busy to think about the rugged- _stupid_ Prince.

"I found the library. Or, at least, I think I did, I can't get the door open." Teo pressed his hands into the armrests of his wheelchair and straightened himself, "You like reading scrolls, right?"

Katara _did_ in fact, like reading scrolls.

"Alright, that sounds like a relaxing day off."

"You're not too tired? You've been up since dinner last night."

"I can't sleep."

The door to the library was huge, at least three times as tall as she was, maybe more, and the handles were very high, but looked easy enough to open. Glancing around, Katara stepped back several paces, then took a running jump. She caught one of the handles, and planted her feet on the frame. Straightening her knees and using them for leverage, she lifted the latch, planted a foot on the opposite door and pushed as hard as she could.

The great wooden beast of a portal creaked, but did not budge. Katara readjusted her grip on the thing, then let go with her right hand as she looked and felt around for a source of water. There was a storm drain that ran along the side of the window, she couldn't see it, but she could sense the stagnant water. Reaching out, she pulled it from the gutter and then eased it into the lock.

She was no Toph, she couldn't pick the lock, and she made a mental note to ask Toph to show her how to do it later.

"Any luck?!" Teo was trying hard not to enjoy the view of the still moist water bender with wet white, and therefore see through, clothes bracing herself against the door. He may have not been able to walk, but he was still human.

"No, I think it's rusted or something." Katara shifted the gripping arm to her right, and shook out her left.

"Freeze it." Teo called up to her.

"Why?"

"Liquid expands as it freezes, you might be able to break the lock." Teo casually readjusted the blanket in his lap.

Katara pursed her lips, since she was unable to shrug, and turned back to her work. Flicking her wrist, Katara froze the water in the lock, and then she grinned as the mechanism exploded outward and released. Katara planted her right foot on the other side of the door and pressed. Succumbing to the pressure, the great wooden door swung open with Katara still clinging to the handle.

"Great job!!" Teo wheeled himself inside, as Katara dropped to the ground and froze a hunk of ice to the floor to keep it propped.

"Yea," Katara bent the water from the lock and her clothes back into the drain, "I'm like a cat burglar."

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Zuko glared out at the ocean below. With no stimulation, all he could do was stare out at the sea, and think of the girl it reminded him of. It was frustrating him to the point of obsession.

She had been crying, and it was because of him, but why?!

"Are you okay?" Aang asked over his shoulder, "You keep . . . growling."

"I'm not growling!!" He snapped back. Obsessing always put him in a bad mood, which was why he had been perpetually grumpy as he had been chasing the Avatar. Now, it seemed like he had replaced the boy with his water bending sifu.

Zuko shook his head as though to clear it, he was a Fire Nation Prince. It was not proper to allow himself to be humiliated and beaten by a water peasant, and yet, it was all he could think about.

"We've been riding for hours." He complained to Aang, "I don't know why, but I thought this thing would be a lot faster!!"

Appa grunted at the insult of being called a 'thing', and Zuko huffed. Sky Bison should not be able to understand Human talk.

"Appa's right, Zuko." Aang told him, perkily, "In our group, typically we start out our missions with a more upbeat attitude."

**"**I can't believe this . . ." Zuko sighed, not sure if he was referring to the Avatar or his dirty ideas about the Water Bender.

**"**Don't worry." Aang told him oblivious to the undertones, "You'll get the hang of it."

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"She had been though, you saw it too, her eyes were all puffy." Haru snapped, knee deep in the water.

"It just doesn't sound like her." Toph replied, she had smelled the saltiness of tears on her friend, but, had assumed it was her imagination. Katara usually smelled a bit like the ocean, and Toph had been more preoccupied figuring out why Katara smelled so much like Zuko. She would have to have been cuddling with him all night to have his scent so set in to her own.

"He's lucky he is so handsome, or I would have hit him." Haru muttered.

"I think he looks like Jet." The Duko piped up, "He even has the two swords."

"I thought you were sweet on Katara." Toph teased him, "You should make up your mind!"

"It can be both . . . Sokka isn't bad either. He's sort of goofily cute, not ruggedly handsome. But Katara is my friend, I don't want to see her hurt."

"You see, that's what I like about you." Toph told the other earth bender, "If you like someone, you admit it . . . at least to me."

"Well, after hiring that assassin, I don't think all the good looks in the world will help win me back over." Haru replied, angrily.

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"What are we looking for?" Katara asked as Teo handed her a pair of spark rocks and she lit a torch. The library had two levels, the lower one was larger, though several of the rows had been toppled, and there was an open space in the center of the shelves where a few tables sat.

"I wanted to read up on the aqueducts that run through this place." Teo told her, "So, maybe a section on architecture?"

"Alright, so, um . . . why don't you look down here, and I'll check the balconies?" She offered. Teo gave her a grateful look, then began wheeling down the main isle. Katara watched him for a minute, then set about looking for stairs.

There were no stairs.

Katara once again found herself scrambling up the structural design of the wall, only this time, there was no handles to hold on to. _Why is it so difficult to get up to the balcony_?! She wondered to herself. Of course, had she been an air bender, a fifty foot leap would be easy.

Triumphantly, she swung her leg over the rail and padded across the dusty floor. There were several book cases that created long isles, each had ancient symbols carved into the side of it, and held hundreds of scrolls.

Walking across the dusty floor, she scanned the sections, though the ancient Kanji was almost indecipherable. Not only was it on yellowed, crumbling paper, but it had to be at least 200 years old. The Library had been old and musty before the genocide, and now it was practically in ruins.

"Eer . . . Frantic Yoga? That can't be right . . . Hmm, Karma Sumatra? What _is_ that? Oh!!! Here it is!" Katara rushed to the balcony and leaned over it, "TEO! I found it!"

It was easy to see where he was, it was the only torch and the only light in the place.

"YOU COULDN'T HAVE!!" he yelled back, "I ALREADY DID!"

Katara frowned, confused.

Now curious, she walked back over to the shelf and pulled several long scrolls off the rack. She handled the top one carefully, but the vellum was so brittle, she could feel that it would shatter if she forced it to unwind. Closing her eyes, she coaxed the moisture of the air back into the material and engaged it. Vellum was made from Cow-pig hide, so, in theory, she could be able to heal it.

At last, after working up a concentration headache, she was able to unravel the things, and she brought them over to the window to read.

The first one was one of the oldest, so she placed it to the side. The next one was more recent looking, and it would probably be easier to read.

"The Legend of Oma and Shu . . ." Katara read slowly, but it became abundantly clear within the first few paragraphs that the author had been more interested in describing their physical attraction than the legend of the town.

_Oma had presently finished washing atop the bluff and was picking wild flowers from the bosom of the earth, to transfer their scent to her own. The young woman had been humming a ballad for the amusement of her own ears when she began to suspect she was being watched. Casually, she looked up, and saw him. A man who wore the colors of the enemy village stood frozen along the path, as though hypnotized at the sight of the sky clad woman._

_"How dare you, sworn enemy of my blood!! Pray, shield your eyes!" Oma cried, submerging her figure once again in the cool mountain water, the sudden change of temperature made the buds on her chest harden._

_"Hearty apologies, my lady," Responded the man gruffly, his hand clamped firmly over his eyes to screen his gaze, "I heard your dulcet tones and felt compelled to find their source!!" His mind was filled with the glimpse of her he had had, and he was grateful that the loose fitting robes concealed the yearning of his manhood._

_"Oh, I am mortified!! Fetch me my robes so that I may clothe myself!" Oma begged of the stranger, "But do not rest your stare on me . . . what is your name, stranger?"_

_"I'm called Shu, I'm of the house that bears the crest of the antlered wolfhound. Now, may I know the name of the lady I serve?" Shu dropped his empty creel and blindly groped along the rocks, his vision still cloaked. In his haste to recover the garment, he accidentally toppled into the water himself. _

"_Shu! Mind where you tread!!" It was the last thing he heard before the water engulfed him. Resurfacing, he gasped for breath, even as his robes tangled between his legs and threatened to drag him down to the darkness below._

_As soon as he fixed his eyes on her, he found he could not look away, her porcelain skin and slicked back wet hair begged to be touched, and he suddenly felt embarrassed of the new growth on his face, and the tattered patches on his sleeve._

_Not all the shame in the world, however, stopped him from leaning in close to the trembling woman, and tasting her breath . . ._

"Katara!!"

Katara jumped back to reality, her cheeks flushing, and her loins tight from the suggestion of the scrolls.

"Katara!!"

It was Teo.

Hastily, she re-rolled the parchment and dashed over to the rail. He was parked below, his torch held high as he squinted up at her.

"Katara, I've been calling you for ten minutes!"

"Oh, I guess I was out of earshot." Katara lied quickly, "Or something."

"Well, I said that I was going to take these back to my room and compare them with a few other sketches, I need you to move the ice frozen to the floor for me though."

"Oh, right. Okay." Katara swung her leg over the rail, and made her way back down. She had no intention of leaving that . . . _horrible_ story out in the library for any to find, but she couldn't climb and carry the scrolls at the same time. She would have to fetch something to strap to her back and use that to get them down.

...

...

...

Dinner had been uneventful, save for Toph and The Duke starting a minor food fight, and Teo's wheelchair getting caught in a crack in the rock. Sokka's fish confection had been disgusting at best, and Katara was almost relieved that she would be cooking the following night. Until the group had stayed in Ba Sing Se, Katara had been the go to girl for meals, but after she had had a taste of being waited on, she insisted that the cooking be divvied up. She knew deep down that the task went to her because she was the woman of the group, and she refused to play into such Northern Water Tribe thinking anymore.

After dinner, and still not tired, she found herself trekking back to the library, her satchel on her back.

"Where are you going, sweetness?" Toph asked, falling into step beside her.

"To the library."

"Oh yea? What for?"

"Well, there were a few scrolls I found that I wanted to take back to my room to read." Katara was careful to tell the truth, knowing full well Toph would call her out on it if she lied. Toph, however, could not tell if you lied by omission.

"Oh . . . Ok, I'll go with you."

"You don't have to!" Katara responded quickly, then added, "I mean, you must have much more interesting things to do."

Toph snorted, "Yea? Like what? I'm sick of the guys, they're trying to out-macho me. That's what I like about you; you know that you can't beat me in the manly department."

"Thanks." Katara's voice faltered, as though she wasn't sure it had been a compliment or not. After a minute, she decided that there was no reason she couldn't tag along, it wasn't like Toph could read what was on the papers, and if she asked, well, Katara would just tell her they were romance scrolls. She just wouldn't specify HOW romantic they were.

"So . . . you haven't bitched at all about Zuko being out with Aang."

"Toph! Language!" Katara replied, evading the question with a motherly scolding.

"I just think it's a little funny, you're not worried about them?"

"I'm worried about Aang. Zuko can die in a ditch for all I care."

"You say that, but I think, if he were in actual trouble," Toph smirked, "You would be the first one running to help him."

"Do you have a crush on Zuko?" Katara decided it was about time to turn the tables.

"No." Toph sounded almost insulted, "Why would you think that?!"

"Well, you sure talk about him a lot." Katara replied, triumph thinly masked in her voice.

"I'm not the one who was wearing his cloak this morning." Toph fought back, "The Duke told me you had it on, and that you kept petting it."

Katara didn't reply.

"And, of course, there was the fact that you almost kissed him."

"How did you-" Katara quickly realized the mistake in this and amended her sentence, "-think that would ever be possible?!" Not quite grammatically sound, but definitely less socially devastating.

"Hahaha, Haru said the Prince was handsome, and The Duke said that he looks a bit like Jet . . . just your type." Toph scratched her nose innocently, and Katara grimaced. Without being able to see such motions, Toph didn't always realize how off-putting her personal hygiene habits could be to the seeing members of the group.

"He isn't my type."

"Prove it."

At that moment, it seemed best to quote the man in question himself.

"How can I prove that I'm NOT feeling something."

"Well, you could keep your heart from pounding whenever you're around him, or hear his name," Toph replied, "That would be a good start."

They had reached the large circular room, and Katara made a bee line for the balcony. Toph followed her, crinkling her nose at the musty smell of the decomposing paper and wood.

"Can you make an elevator?" Katara asked her, and Toph obliged, taking them up to stand level with the balcony.

"So, what are we getting anyway?"

"Romance Scrolls." Katara told her, then shrugged as Toph coughed covering a laugh, "Well, I get bored, and they pass the time."

Toph thought about adding something about the water bender not having a prince to boss around, but decided she was beating a dead ostrich horse with the accusations. These things needed to be worked from a certain angle, and the snippy tribeswoman probably needed only a small push if the Prince was as handsome as Haru had gushed earlier.

"You know, when grown ups put something out of our reach, it usually means we're not supposed to play with it." Toph muttered, stepping onto the rail and jumping to the floor with a grunt.

"Or they're not used to having company incapable of flight."

...

...

...

Katara curled up on her bed wearily, somehow, she had gotten used to spending her nights with the prisoner, and running around all day had tired her immensely. Even though her limbs drooped with fatigue, the moon was strong, and it's light was like drinking fire koffee, or eating too many sweets.

She still felt awake.

Wrapping her shoulders in Zuko's cloak . . . to ward off the evening chill, of course, she looked through the scrolls she had taken. Two were too old to make sense of, she just didn't recognize the symbols. The other three were better, but still difficult.

Katara picked up the one she had been reading earlier, that told of Oma and Shu, not because it was the most exciting, but because it was the most familiar. She knew the legend, and it made it more exciting, to see something written about characters she already knew and loved. In her haste, she skipped ahead, wondering if it would touch on how they became earth benders.

_. . . although Shu's body was chiseled from hard work, it was not unpleasant to lie beneath. In fact, Oma found it deliciously constricting when he collapsed on top of her, sweat slicked and spent. The way his voice would rasp as he whispered her name to signal his release would only serve to embolden her own desires._

_They met every week, usually agreeing on the day during their previous clandestine meeting, and would instantly fall into the euphoria of each other's arms. This day, of course was no different._

_They had agreed to meet by the caves, and, as usual, Oma was the first to arrive. It was not that Shu was incapable of punctuality, simply that the way the mountain lay, his walk was longer, more difficult, and he usually took it upon himself to carry the blankets on which they lay._

_"Shu!" she called and waved when he crested the bluff, and when he drew close, she ran to meet him, taking his collar in her hands and drawing his mouth down to hers. As she pressed herself to him, she felt the hardness of his length bear down into her hip, he must have been thinking of her embrace the whole time he walked to be so ready for her so quickly, and Oma reached down to tease him through the fabric, her fingertips temperate._

Katara closed the scroll and looked away, she didn't want to stop, but she didn't want to read on either. She thought back to the night before, her face heating. She had thought he was carrying a weapon, spirits preserve her, he must have thought she was an absolute neophyte!

She was though, until Yugoda had taken it upon herself to give her a detailed sex talk, Katara knew little more than the basic idea of penis plus vagina equals baby. Even now, she was sure the woman had left out a lot of information, though she now understood the finer points of how, where, and why, along with a meticulous explanation of anatomy and qi paths.

Tentatively, she looked back at the scroll. It was offering her a plethora of raunchy details that she wouldn't be able to find anywhere else.

"It's not like I'm going to put any of these techniques into practice," she reminded herself shrewdly, "I'm not even old enough to marry, It's just, for . . . medicinal purposes."

_. . . Shu, arced his hips forward, reveling in her touch. His nimble fingers already finding the ties to her robe and releasing her tender flesh from it's confines. Quickly, his mouth descended to her neck, and although he was careful not to leave any tell tale marks that would tip her family off to their tryst, the fear did not hold him back from tasting her._

_Oma sighed under his ministrations as she undid his topknot and combed out his hair, their tongues meeting-_

"Tongues?" Katara asked nobody, then reasoned that they must be kissing . . . except with tongues.

_-as their kisses deepened. _

_The entwined pair had barely collapsed onto their blankets when their mutual affection drove their passions further. Shu hastily began unwinding Oma's bindings, only pausing to let her pull his robe off, and when her bosom finally spilled forth from their confinement, he lowered his lips to suckle on her, sending his lover into a frenzy of soft mewling whimpers._

It made her blush when she noticed that her own nipples had grown hard against the fabric of her shirt, and Katara shifted onto her stomach so that she wouldn't be able to feel the proof of her girlish silliness.

Everyone knew that if a man attempted to touch your breast, he was to be given a smack to the face . . . right? You weren't supposed to enjoy it and encourage him . . . right?

_It was not long, however before the cunning linguist craved a more intimate taste on his tongue, and sliding off her pants, he parted her legs, and opened her flower to the conservative morning air. Once again he heard the chords of his name spill from her lips, beseeching him to dispense the pleasure he so cruelly withheld._

_Resting his mass on his elbows, and using his hands to steady her hips, Shu pressed his mouth to her lips, expertly finding the hidden keystone of her arousal. Indolently, he teased her, running his tongue in leisurely circles as his fingers played her body like a mastered instrument, and in fact, such skill did yield an array of beautiful tones that dispersed into the morning light. Every sound pressed his own lusts on, and with every shiver she luxuriated in, his hips bucked painfully against the earth, practically seeking release on their own accord, without their master's permission._

_He knew she was close once she began to writhe beneath him. The erratic movement and increase of sultriness making it most difficult to remain pinpointed to her points of pleasure. Both to steady her unintended resistance and to give him the satisfaction of feeling her muscles flutter and her juices flow, Shu pressed two of his fingers deep into her core. Expertly, long having memorized her body inside and out, the Warrior curled his fingers forward, searching for the small, ridged patch of flesh, whose touch undid her completely and released her passions. _

_Oma once again whined, and Shu could see her press her wrist daintily in her mouth to stifle the sound. He wondered what story she would tell her kin when she returned home to explain the bite shaped bruises. If she could not make them believe, they would forbid her from climbing the mountain alone, and they would have to find another way to meet._

_When she reached her crescendo, Oma tossed violently in her own realm of pleasure, and Shu was quick to enfold her in his arms, kissing her sweetly as she quivered with aftershocks._

Katara looked away again, feeling almost giddy, as though she wanted to giggle, but didn't really find anything funny. It was almost . . . scandalously funny, even as she felt her abdomen heat and her body respond. Her breaths had begun to come fast, and parts of her that she had thought incapable of throbbing before were pulsing with excitement.

After a few breaths to still her nerves and a quick snuggle in the warm red cloak, Katara set aside the Oma and Shu scroll, and decided to see what the other two held. The next one she picked up was curiously titled . . . perhaps a bit too curiously.

_Koh the Face Stealer and the Seven Virgins . ._ . Katara read.

"No." she said flatly and put it to the side. The last one, however, looked promising.

_The Painted Lady's Bond Servant_

Katara decided that she liked it as soon as she read that it was about the Painted Lady, as she was, by far, Katara's favorite spirit.

...

...

...

It had taken her hours to fall asleep, she had read the scroll in it's entirety, twice, then her favorite parts one final time. The things the Painted Lady had done to her slave . . . the demands she had made . . . it was . . . so sensual.

Katara could barely focus at breakfast, and nearly dropped her bowl of jook into her lap.

"You okay Katara?" Teo asked tentatively from across the fire.

"You have dark circles under your eyes." Haru observed, "Have you been sleeping well?"

"Nah!" Sokka said nonchalantly, "I bet she was up late worrying about Aang, right?"

"Yes." Katara answered flatly, "I'm worried about Aang."

"I'm sure they just decided the flight was so long it would be easier to just stay the night." Teo spoke again, "I bet they'll be back this afternoon."

Katara yawned, then nodded, placing her breakfast to the side where it was quickly snapped up by Momo. The water bender sometimes wondered if that lemur would eat until he exploded.

"Why don't you do that mumbo jumbo you tried with Aang to get him to sleep before the invasion?" Sokka suggested.

"Huh?"

"The yoga you did together, remember?" Toph elaborated, "Maybe that will help you sleep."

"Oh." Katara rubbed her eyes, "Yea, maybe."

Sokka then shifted the discussion to the old library Teo had found, and Katara blissfully tuned them out.

After the dishes were washed and her room cleaned, Katara went through the motions of morning practice, but once again, she couldn't concentrate. Switching over to Yoga, she did the sun salutations sequence, then a pigeon and swan hip opening sequence, then finally tried and failed to hold crane pose at it's fullest extension for a minute.

Cooling off in the fountain for a few minutes was pleasant, and she made sure to wash herself thoroughly. No reason for it, of course. She just wanted to smell really nice . . . just in case. Then finding an old basket in the kitchen, she climbed up the cliff face to the jungle above and began gathering vegetables for the night meal.

She had not been at work long when she saw Appa fly by overhead, two figures perched in his saddle. Turning on her heels, she ran down the path, threading her way through the buildings until she got to their common one.

The Sky Bison had already landed, and Aang was busily telling Sokka and Haru about . . . something. Zuko, however, was staring straight at her. Katara immediately regretted her run through the buildings. The wind had whipped her hair out of order, her face was flushed, and she had not stopped to brush the dirt from her hands and knees. Suddenly, she felt ridiculous. More importantly, however, with her half empty basket and breathlessness, she knew she looked like she had dropped everything to run and meet them, and she was not sure she could explain it away entirely with Aang's presence.

". . . amazing!! They were real too!! We learned so much, didn't we Zuko?"

"Yes, we did." The prisoner of war's attention turned again to the Avatar, and Katara relaxed as his stare lifted. She huffed, offhandedly smoothing her hair, and feigning disinterest in the prince's existence.

"Here, you guys, sit down!!" Aang yelled as Teo and Toph wheeled in from the west hall, "I want to show you the form we learned!!"

"Oh yea? What is is?" Toph got up from the young mechanic's lap and flopped down making herself comfortable.

"Are you ready Zuko? Yes?" The two began moving in their circle, stepping in the form that the ruins had taught them, "Ok . . . . With this technique the dragons showed us, Zuko and I would be unstoppable!!"

"Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there." Sokka replied, sarcastically at the end. Clearly, he was not impressed.

**"**It's not a dance. It's a fire bending form." Zuko corrected him.

"We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord." Sokka replied, wiggling his fingers in a dance. Clearly, he was still angry about the whole 'assassin nearly killing his sister' fiasco.

**"**It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!" Zuko snapped. It had felt so ethereal, meeting the masters, and now, he was rudely shocked as he plunged back into reality.

**"**Oh yeah?" Katara asked smugly,‌ "What's your little form called‌?"

**"**The Dancing Dragon . . ." Zuko muttered, looking away as everyone laughed at him.

"Hey, guys, give him a break." Aang defended, "Sokka, Zuko didn't laugh at you when you cross dressed to learn the Kyoshi techniques."

Sokka sobered, then muttered that Zuko hadn't laughed because he had been too busy trying to kill them.

". . . and Katara, when we met Hama-"

Before Aang could finish the sentence, Katara stood abruptly and the temperature of the air dropped to near freezing as the humidity froze under her will.

"I have to go . . . put away the vegetables." She flounced out.

"Why is she so upset?" Zuko asked the crowd.

"She's just cranky because she hasn't been sleeping." Haru replied, gesturing for the Prince to follow him. Zuko fell in step beside the older boy as they headed back towards the common area. He noticed that the boy had the restraints with him, and watched as Haru opened them, and then curled his fingers, gesturing for Zuko to hold out his wrists.

"Who is Hama?" Zuko held out his hands, wincing as the cold metal once again closed around his wrists.

"I actually don't know." Haru confessed, "I'm sure someone will tell us eventually if it's important. All I know is that Sokka mentioned her once before and Katara almost started to cry. Speaking of which . . ."

Zuko cringed, but before Haru could ask, he heard Katara calling for him.

"Zuko!! Come here."

He shrugged again to the brunette, then trudged over to where Katara stood. Something was different about her, and he wasn't sure he liked it. It wasn't the dark circles under her eyes or the way that she scowled at him, it was more the way she carried herself. It was as though she knew something he didn't.

"You need me too . . . ?" Haru trailed off, hopefully.

"No I'm okay with just him, tell Sokka I'll keep an eye on our prisoner for a while."

Zuko cringed . . . he was back to 'prisoner'.

Haru nodded and walked off, and Katara maintained her posture, leaning against the column until the older boy was out of ear shot.

"I can't sleep."

Zuko blinked, "Umm, I hear Klamath Weed is good for that."

"That's for depression, idiot." Katara turned on her heel and motioned him to follow her.

Zuko considered refusing to follow, but her mood was already black, and he was a tiny bit nervous about what she would do to him if he disobeyed her. Plus, the bruises on his wrists were starting to yellow, and he didn't really feel like replacing them with new ones just yet.

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I want a hot bath to help me relax, and you're going to heat it for me."

"Oh." _Oh._ Zuko swallowed.

Hard.

...

...

...

He followed her to the kitchen storage area where she picked up some homemade oils and some flowers that she had been drying, and then over to the next building where the community bathing facilities were.

It took her a while to find a tub that had not been cracked so badly it was no longer usable. Most were split in half, either from the war, or the recent scuffle with Combustion Man. Far to the back, however, she did find a usable one, and she began filling it with the water that cascaded down one side of the room.

The place itself was nice, and at one point, must have been gorgeous. There were pedestals where statues must have sat, though now they were shattered on the floor below, or missing entirely. Probably looted by thieves or soldiers, and the walls had faint color to them, as though they used to be murals, probably of oceans and water spirits.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Katara gestured to the bath.

"I was waiting for your permission to move." Zuko replied. He was weary from his travels, and wanted to relax himself, not help the water bender do so.

"Go heat the water." She told him, ". . . and keep your back turned."

Zuko glared at her for several seconds before pulling off his boots and rolling up his pants to the knee. He then made himself comfortable on the stone rim of the bath, and dangled his feet inside, concentrating on heating the liquid it held.

His focus, however, was short lived, he soon heard a rustle of fabric behind him, and knew immediately that Katara was disrobing. It was a sound any man would instinctually know upon hearing it. Carefully, he stared down at the water, not wanting to do anything to provoke the younger girl.

Katara, now in her undergarments, and she swung a leg over the side of the bath, testing her toes in the water.

"That's pitiful." She told him, slipping the rest of the way in.

"It's a big tub!" Zuko protested, "It's supposed to hold five or six people!"

Katara ignored him. Instead, she opened her vial and loosed several drops of oil into the water, which quickly began to smell like lavender. She then began to pick the petals off of the assortment of flowers and drop them into the water as well, where they floated on the top, their delicate fragrance permeating the air.

"Did you bring candles and incense too?" Why were girls so particular about the way they bathed? He usually just dunked in the water, rubbed his whole body down with salts, then jumped back out.

"Since you're so concerned, why don't you be my candelabra?" she snapped back, "Just hold up your hands and light your fingers."

Zuko blinked, and his fingers twitched, he had to consciously stop himself from raising them. The fact that he would obey without thinking or question embarrassed him, and he covered it by becoming angry.

"I'm not your furniture!" he reminded her, confrontationally, "I'm Prince of the Fire Nation!!!"

Katara, who had only just made herself comfortable on the curved rock, abruptly stood up. The soaked fabric clung to her, and water dripped alluringly down her limbs and across the bare expanse of her stomach.

In a few strides, she had crossed the pool, and seized his wrist.

"I don't care if you are the king of the four nations!! Right now, you're my prisoner." She leaned in close to the bender, "Now, unless you want me to drown you in an air bender's bath house, you'll do what I tell you to."

He knew she wouldn't kill him, not while Aang still hadn't mastered fire, and he didn't appreciate the threat.

"I'll do it if you take of the chains."

"No."

"Fine." Zuko paused for a minute, then tried again, "I'll do it if you bring me dinner again tonight . . . without the chopsticks."

Katara paused for a long time mulling it over in her mind, then gave a curt nod of agreement.

Zuko closed his eyes and concentrated on his fingertip, keeping the water warm and lighting up his hands was like trying to rub his stomach with one hand while patting his head with the other, but he managed. Katara, for her part, lay back in the steaming water and sighed, her eyelids fluttering closed.

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**Hmmm . . . Katara, did you find the section labeled "architecture" or "erections"? Ancient Kanji is so hard to decipher . . .**

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**So, how did I do writing trashy dawn of time romance? I was going for Jane Austin meets bad fanfiction. Not sure I landed it.**

**Anyway, while Zuko is out, discovering the Dragons, Katara is making a few discoveries of her own . . .**

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**Thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter, we topped 40, which is an all time high minus the last chapter of Midsummer Madness, which I feel doesn't count because all my lurkers stepped in to say a short hello and thanks. I mean, it was nice of them, but I measure a fic on the average it gets, and this one really took it high.**

**I guess I'm not the only one who is tired of slave!katara and submissive!katara and of course captured!katara. I just thought I'd make it clear now that this is not a switch fic. It's always going to be femdom, there are plenty of slave!katara fics out there for those with reversed tastes.**

**I know this chapter isn't quite as kinky as the last, but I did try to give it an edge. The next one will be fun though. Promise.**

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**Read and review . . . **

**You know you want to . . . I know you want to.**

**So let's just end this miserable charade!!! Let's end it with you leaving me a review. Preferably a long awesome one, because . . . who doesn't like it when things are awesome AND long ::wink::**


	6. Chapter 6: Family Hardware

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: M

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

**Beta: **Nobody . . .

.

..

…

**Disclaimer: **Fan work only, I don't own the Avatar the Last Airbender series. If I did, you can bet it would have been Zutara, gone for more than three seasons, and only been appropriate for Adult Swim . . . or HBO.

Maybe Bryke should have worked the sexy angle, I hear they had more adult fans than children.

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**Chapter 6: Family Hardware**

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...

_It all started on the eve of the summer solstice, when Spider decided to steal from Painted Lady._

_On the solstices, the veil between the spirit world and the human world grows thin, and may be traversed by human or spirit. When the sun rose, however, if the being was on the wrong side of the veil, they would be trapped in the sister realm until the following sabbat._

_Spider had set out for a walk through the Fire Nation streets, enjoying the human festivities that unfolded around him. They were such curious things, loud and obnoxious, with the tendency to flit from one emotion to another without knowing or caring why._

_He pilfered handful upon handful sweets from the peddlers and stuffed his gullet with them. The night was going swimmingly until he ran into his old friend Monkey King. The deity wore unfashionably baggy robes for the season to conceal the tail he could never shift, and his handsome features were euphoric._

"_Greetings friend!!" One trickster hailed the other, "I must admit I had not expected to see you so far from the Water Tribes!! What brings you here on this night?"_

"_I am taking a turn about the continent." Spider replied cautiously. Monkey King was the sort of deity that could get you into further trouble than you could handle and then vanish without a trace. Spider tried to push by the deviant, but the god grabbed his waist and pulled the pair of them back down the street and into a local tavern, accessorized for the celebration at hand._

"_I spoke in surprise earlier because, I myself am just coming off the Northern Water Tribe." Monkey King informed his friend._

"_Why were you in the Northern Water Tribe?" The bartender brought a bottle of Fire Whiskey and two shot cups to their table and set it down._

"_I just bedded La."_

"_You lie."_

"_I would not!" Monkey was outraged, but only for a moment, "I made my face into the likeness of Tui, it was positively scandalous the speed at which she surrendered!"_

"_She did not notice your tail?" Spider poured his companion a glass, then filled his own in the polite order of service._

"_No more than the humans notice your extra eyes hidden under your scarf." Monkey teased cruelly. Spirits such as they were could shape shift to many forms, but could never banish a crucial feature, for Monkey King, it was his tail, for Spider is was his eyes. "I have proof I bedded her!"_

"_Oh?" Spider took another sip of fire whiskey, he had the natural curiosity of all the trickster gods, and found himself, rather uncharacteristically, being entrapped within the Monkey King's account of prohibited romance._

_The god grinned and dug in his sleeves, then produced a small, white, curly hair. Spider knew exactly what it was immediately and leaned forward to get a closer look. It should have glowed white, but he could not make it out, he wasn't sure if it was the fault of the lamps or the fault of the storyteller._

"_Bah!" Spider waved his hand dismissively, "This only proves you have seduced a widow in the sunset of her years. You are no philanderer, you are a fraud!"_

"_You are simply jealous that you could not ensnare a woman half her rank or beauty!! Go bed yourself a human woman and think of me as you expire on top of her!!"_

"_I could have any goddess I wanted!!" Spider argued, his dark skin flushing as he rose to his feet, his arms crossing over his chest._

"_Well then let's make a wager!!" Monkey King stood up and met the anger with a prehensile grin, "Painted Lady lives near here . . . two towns over near a fishing village, do you know it?"_

"_I know it."_

"_She protects the river glen with a ferocity I have not seen in many ladies, but I'm sure you shall be able to handle it. The spirit is not as prestigious as a moon goddess, but, still out of your pathetic reach."_

"_I can tame her."_

"_Fine, bring me the belly chain she wears on her waist, the one that binds her to the river there."_

_Instead of answering, the demi god snatched up the bottle of whiskey and partook again, straight from the colander's mouth in a drunkard's kiss. Then, Spider's fingers twitched as he caught one of his threads and winked out of the human world and into the between._

_As soon as the veil closed behind him, Monkey King sniggered to himself, wondering how Spider, whose power was weaving webs of deception, could be so blind to one being constructed around him. Pulling his needle staff from behind his ear and expanding it to full size, he gave a mighty summersault out the window and into the night sky, ignoring the yelling from the tavernmaster that he had not settled his tab._

_He landed on the soft shore only to find Spider hard already arrived, and was rather drunkenly singing out into the water. Although there was no response, their presence, however, had not gone unnoticed by the river spirit, evident by the billows of fog rising up off the water and floating in towards the shore._

"_Oi!! You'll never find a lady like that!" Monkey King scolded the overenthusiastic trickster. Instead of helping though, he curled in on himself and sprung into one of the trees, transforming himself into a lemur to watch the action._

_Spider soon found himself isolated on the riverbank, warm, lethargic, and spirited. In fact, he was starting to become blurred as to why he was on the shore hailing a woman he had never seen before anyway. Monkey had probably tried to trick him into attempting to bed an oni. The instant she appeared, he would scream at her hideousness, and Monkey King would tumble from the branches from laughing._

_Before he could step through the veil and out of the human world, the fog had enveloped him like a shroud. He pulled his hood down, suddenly in need of all his eyes to see through the mist._

_Someone was rising up out of the water._

"_Who calls at such a late hour?" she demanded of him through the shroud she wore._

_Spider glanced around, as though the answer floated in the air beside him._

"_Your humble servant, my lady." He replied winningly, giving her a grand bow._

"_Spider." She recognized him though they had never met. The Lady bowed her head respectfully, but gave no smile or indication of pleasure upon his greeting. "I suppose Coyote is not far behind you. If you have come to trouble my fishermen, you best turn tail now."_

"_Coyote is in the Earth Kingdom." Spider replied honestly, "Swaddled in the cords of his latest amusement." Rather embarrassed, he quickly replaced his scarf_

"_What does a Demi God want with a River Spirit then?"_

_Spider ran his fingers through his long black hair. "I have heard of your compassion to the human creatures, and thought perhaps, tonight, that compassion should be turned back upon you. I have brought liquor, let us make merry, it is a night to celebrate."_

"_You cannot invite yourself into my bed. Begone."_

_It was unfair, Spider decided, that water spirits should be so cold. It was as though they were made of the very ice they bent, with no room for diversion in their hearts. He could hear Monkey King chattering on the branch, no doubt laughing at him._

"_Painted Lady!! You misunderstand!! I offer you the comfort of my body without the obligation of placating it."_

_This seemed to intrigue her, and she turned around to study him for a long moment. Finally, with an air of amusement, she gave him a curt nod, and motioned for him to follow her into the mist._

_In a few steps, he found himself in her demesne, at the bottom of the river, but at the same time, not at the bottom of the river. He respectfully slipped out of his shoes before crossing the half lit chamber to set the bottle down on her table._

"_Make yourself useful." She told him, "Fetch the lotion from the cupboard."_

...

...

...

"Can you read?"

Zuko was caught off guard by the question, but he quickly nodded.

"Even old style calligraphy?"

"Yes, but it's been almost three years since my lessons, unless you count Uncle tutoring me . . . which I don't."

"If I bring some scrolls I can't decipher with me tonight, will you read them to me?"

Was he imagining things, or was her voice laced with wicked mirth? What was she planning?!

"Yes, but, where did you get scrolls anyway?"

"It doesn't matter. Close your eyes." She told him, raising her foot out of the water to point at his hands, ". . . and extinguish those things."

"Why?" Zuko dropped his hands but did not lower his eyelids.

"Just do it?"

"Are you going to push me into the water?"

Katara raised her eyebrows . . . it was a damn good idea.

"No. Do you want to help me relax or not?"

"What if I say 'no, it's not my problem'?"

"You came with me in the first place!!" Katara argued back, unphased.

"You ordered me to!!" He replied stubbornly.

"Fine." Katara huffed and stood, "If you won't do what I tell you to, I'll leave."

"No!" Zuko was surprised at the urgency in his voice, and he quickly repeated himself less enthusiastically, "No." Inhaling slowly, the Prince closed his eyes, making sure his grip on the rim was strong in case there was a sudden push.

"If you open them, I'll . . . I'll punish you." She said the words as though they were foreign on her tongue, and then Zuko was greeted by the unquestionable sound of her wading over.

Instead of shoving him into the hot water like he had feared, the water bender grabbed his knees and pulled them apart.

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KATARA_!!" He flailed blindly, trying to clamp his thighs back together. Water splashed everywhere, and the Prince was almost instantly soaked to the waist.

"Hold still!!" Katara yelled back, "Spirits, you sure jump easily!"

"Forgive me if I spook when my captor, who just threatened to punish me, yanks my legs open and gets within easy striking distance of my-" He seemed to rethink the crude word, "of the 'family hardware'"

The water bender mulled this over, her fingers clamped between the Prince's knees. He had scrunched up his face during the scuffle, and she watched as his face relaxed slowly, muscle by muscle. His eyes were still closed, but his nostrils flared anxiously in the afternoon light.

"I'm not going to do anything to your 'family hardware'." Right now, it seemed more like his 'family software' anyway, "I wouldn't even touch your hardware . . . not unless you deserved it." After the words were out of her mouth, Katara realized that there were two ways to take that, and she hoped he would absorb it as threatening.

The way he blushed, she had her doubts.

Once again, she pulled, opening his knees, and since he was expecting it, the Prince did not panic. Katara stepped in between them and heard his sharp intake of breath. Still facing him, and monitoring his eyelids carefully for the slightest flicker, she pulled her white top and bindings up off of her and let them fall onto the rim of the tub. The wet smack of saturated fabric on stone drew his attention, and he turned his head, but did not open his eyes. In fact, she saw him screw them more tightly shut, apparently, now that she was topless, he really didn't want her to leave.

Satisfied, she turned and sunk down into the water, finding his hands, she grabbed them and placed them on her shoulders. When she let go, however, he lifted them off, as though he wasn't sure if she really wanted him to touch her or if she was just toying with him.

"Rub my neck." She ordered, her voice rising in annoyance.

She felt him lower his hands back down, and his fingers twitched against her collarbone. It only took a second for her to realize he was trembling. Zuko felt like he was holding a lit fire sparkler. It was warm, beautiful, and fun to watch from a distance, but it was only a matter of time before the thing would explode in his hand, taking his fingers with it.

"If you try to loop those chains around my neck and strangle me, I'll stick you with so many ice spears you're corpse will look like a porcupine otter." She threatened again after a pause, "And I'll NEVER take you out of those manacles."

Zuko tightened his jaw and forged ahead, she looked like she was getting ancy, if he didn't do what she said, the explosion would take place sooner rather than later. He gently pressed his thumbs into the hollow behind her ears and stroked firmly down across the muscle. He heard her sigh and tilt her head to the side, both stretching and granting him easier access to her right shoulder.

_Why?!_ It was the only coherent thought that was running through his head. It was a test . . . of sorts. He was quite sure of that. It was devious of her, giving him an opening to attack her like that, even pointing it out to him to give him ideas. Why the bath though? She had plenty of water to fight with, yes, but why remove her top? Was it just to insist on barring his vision?

For his part, the Prince followed her lead, when she tilted her head to the right, he focused on her left shoulder. The way her muscles slid under her skin and beneath his fingertips felt so tantalizing. When she rolled over to the left, he focused on her right shoulder and was rewarded with another sigh, and more surprisingly, the bender's arm draped over his leg.

Katara let her weight relax against his thigh. His hands were _amazing_! She hadn't been pampered like this since going to the spa with Toph! This was just her shoulders too, she observed, then wondered what would happen if she were to stretch out on her stomach and demand he rub her back as well. It was improper, of course, it was improper to be half clad with a man in a hot tub too, but she let herself accidentally forget that fact for the moment. He would need to be able to see, she decided, pushing the idea away, and no way was he seeing her naked.

It wasn't fair! She was making it difficult to concentrate on the massage. At least half of his attention was focused on his leg where she pushed up against it. He was dying to know what part of her wet, naked, sensual, _perky_ body was pressed to him. Would she notice if he opened his eyes for a few seconds? Would she leave? He knew it was wrong to spy on a girl in the bath, but . . . this was a special situation with very unusual circumstances! She couldn't really blame him for being curious, could she?

Cautiously, he batted open his good eye, squinting through his lashes. The water bender was busy gathering up and oiling her massive swath of wet hair and did not notice. Staring was almost unavoidable. From his perch above her shoulder, he could see everything, the gulf of her collarbone, the drop spattered swelling of her breasts, and the darkness of her nipples submerged scarcely an inch below the waterline.

Katara had gathered all her hair and beneath his hands, she leaned forward on herself, arching her back in an invitation to his hands to travel further down it. Her shoulder blades slid up her back and opened out a bit, drawing her skin taught across vertebrae and muscle alike. The chain that linked the manacles clinked softly as she bumped it. He caught a glimpse of the fullness of her breast in the triangular window created by her ribs and underarm before she had inadvertently blocked his view.

Zuko hesitantly closed his eyes again and let his hands travel south. After his ministrations, if she wasn't relaxing, nothing short of a shot of fire whiskey would accomplish it. The memory of her, however, was burned into his retinas, and now that he had a visual to compliment the tactile experience, his lusts had been ignited.

This going-nowhere foreplay was torture.

He wanted her to ravish him.

Then, he felt her shift and take his elbow, guiding it back up her figure as she leaned back into him. His fingers buried into her hair as she shifted between his legs. The disturbance dislodged the scent from the strands, and he suddenly found his senses assaulted by both her body oils and soap.

_That's odd_, he thought, _Is her hair already washed? _

His fingers instinctively began rubbing small circles on her scalp as though he were lathering it, working the thick distilled liquid through the tresses. He grimaced to himself, his hands and feet would smell like lavender all day, and that was definitely not manly! That-

She moaned audibly, something that might have been his name.

-That was a burden, he decided in a moment of self sacrifice, he would just have to bear.

Katara closed her eyes halfway and let her eyes roll upwards, her eyelids fluttering at the stretch. It was, however, mild when compared to the fluttering of the moths her stomach. Unexpectedly, she very much wanted his arms around her, touching her front, she wanted him to kiss her neck, suck on her ear . . .

It had been a big mistake, she decided, to read those romance scrolls . . . they were giving her . . . ideas. Ideas of experiments she suddenly wanted to try, ideas that

Despite her frigidity, she cooed happily as his fingers gently combed through her slicked flat mane. Her shoulders sagged, and her head relaxed back into his palms, and for a second, he found himself cupping it's entire weight in his hands. It was short loved however, as Katara's shoulders bumped gently into his erection, and the bender quickly remembered herself. Before she could pull away completely, the Prince nerved himself, and moved the massage from her scalp to her temples. It was a last ditch effort. Softly, he pressed small circles into the side of her forehead with his middle and index fingers.

She stiffened, but didn't stop him.

"It's probably the weird hours that you've been sleeping, you know, sometimes up all night, sometimes all day . . . when I couldn't sleep as a kid, my attendants used to sing to me."

He had not been given permission to speak, but the silence hung thick, and he decided that the bender would probably like to listen to something. It would have been awkward for her to order him to talk. Although it was his mother that had done it, he was careful not to mention her, it would only remind the girl between his legs of her own and that would upset her.

"When I was stressed about finding the Avatar," he continued, feeling the girl tense, "He gave me five tips." As he spoke, he shifted his thumbs to her temples so he could ever so softly brush the crease between her upper and lower eyelids

"What where they?"

The Prince raised his eyebrow, he had expected to be ignored, and her participation was encouraging. He secretly suspected that her relaxation and sleeping problems were nonexistent. Deep down, he was pretty sure it was only an excuse to make demands. Casually, he trailed his fingers down across her neck, making sure to flip his hands over so she wouldn't worry about him grabbing her. It probably wasn't a good idea to touch her face with his eyes closed anyway, he didn't want to accidentally poke something.

"Well, exercise in the evening was one, we used to have sword fighting sessions right before dinner. Have a snack before bed. Light incense . . . but you seem to already know about the aromatherapy . . ."

"Of course I do." Her voice was sharp and unamused.

With a small shrug, Zuko left it at that, if she really was cranky, only a good night sleep would fix things. Chewing on his lip, he focused his attention again on her shoulders, letting his circling fingers stray down her arms, rubbing her deltoids.

She let the silence hang for a minute before prompting him again.

"And?"

"And what?"

"That was only four tips." She lifted her arms as she spoke propping her elbows on his knees. There was no need to issue an order, the Prince knew what she wanted, and his hands moved further down her arms obediently.

"Oh yea." Zuko replied evasively. Why had he said five? He should have lied and said four.

"Tell me the fifth." It was not a request.

"It was . . . It was to have sex, or more accurately, have an orgasm." He stammered, the last sentence out quickly, then braced himself, sure he was about to get a slap. He hadn't been suggesting she sleep with him, but he knew she would take it that way.

Katara's elbow connected with his lower stomach, apparently she couldn't be bothered to turn around. Then she grabbed the chain and yanked it smartly. His bruises cried out in protest as she jerked his hands away from her face.

He had gone too far.

"_Prince_ Zuko?" Her tone was ice.

Said prisoner swallowed, her head was tilted so far back she could probably see his face.

"Yes?"

"Open your eyes."

He did so, gratefully. The first thing he noticed was that she had cupped her breasts in her hands, concealing them, the second was that she was sneering, not a good sign for someone who should be relaxed and placated.

"Erm . . ." He was in trouble. Big trouble. Suddenly, he felt like he did when he was nine and he had been naughty but not sneaky enough.

"I can't believe you'd say that!" She snapped, taking a breath so she could achieve a higher volume in her scolding, "Just what are you implying!"

"Nothing!!"

"I would _NEVER_ sleep with you!" she told him, her voice cracking, "_EVER!_"

The Prince simply nodded, waiting for her temper to run out of heat. He knew if he said anything, even an apology, he would get a face full of water whip. In fact, the water bender seemed to be baiting him, looking for an excuse to beat him, which, in itself was silly. He was her prisoner, and he accepted the fact that she didn't need a reason to hit him other than she wanted to. The water bender, it seemed, had not fully realized that fact yet.

"You're disgusting! How dare you! You're the _ENEMY_!!!" Inhaling and exhaling heavily, winded by the force of her own yelling, Katara took a few steps back into the deeper basin of the bath.

"Well . . . I wouldn't want to sleep with you either!" Zuko replied, hoping to set her fears at ease, "Why would I? You're bossy, you're loud, your mean, and you're not ladylike at all."

For a brief moment, the bender stared at him, stunned, her mouth opening, then closing. Her face was almost perplexed, as though she couldn't comprehend the sentence. Then her puzzled air turned back to anger. Still covering herself with one of her arms, she swept the other in a wide ark, and all the water in the tub swept outward and slammed into his chest, throwing him across the chamber to slam into the side of another cracked open bath.

Slightly disoriented by his sudden repositioning, Zuko pulled himself to his feet just in time to dodge another wave, Katara chasing him easily. Although she only had one arm to work with, she didn't seem to notice the handicap, and finally, Zuko had to bend a shield, protecting himself from the torrents of water. It was difficult with the shackles, but he managed to protect himself. Unfortunately, no matter how much water he turned to steam, she always had more, and by now, she had thoroughly memorized all his defensive maneuvers.

Firebending, in itself, didn't have too many defenses, it's whole creed was to attack the opponent back, not just to evade and protect.

"So, I'm just an ignorant peasant girl!! I'm not good enough for you!! I'll show _YOU_ ladylike!!"

Zuko threw himself to the ground to avoid a serrated disk of ice, then scrambled back as an icicle hit between his legs, inches away from the very last appendage he wanted to lose. If she decapitated him, he would simply die, if she castrated him, his fate was far, _FAR_ worse.

"I didn't mean that!!" He windmilled his legs and used the momentum to catapult himself to his feet, "I'd love to sleep with you!!" He retreated back, stumbled against the rim of another bath, and fell backwards into it.

"You only say that now because I'm threatening you!!" Another sweep and pivot, and the Prince found himself ankle and elbow deep in ice. He was frozen to the spot. Katara swung a leg over the side of the bath, then padded across the ice to loom over him. Another sharp wheel of ice flew at him, but missed, slicing his sleeve but nothing else. She was just trying to scare him now, she wouldn't actually hit him. The water bender, he decided, would look a whole lot more menacing if she stopped to put on her shirt, all she was at the moment was distracting him.

"No no!" he leaned to avoid another attack, no sense ripping up his clothes, "Ever since we first met . . ." he wracked his brain for a detail of her, truth be told, he had been more interested in capturing the Avatar than sampling the local flavor, "You had that blue sealskin coat on and those hair loops . . ."

"You're horrible!!" They were so busy arguing that they didn't even notice the approaching footsteps.

"Umm . . . What are you guys doing?!"

...

...

...

After the group members had floated off to pursue their own, private endeavors, Toph declined Teo's invitation to ride on the water sliders and followed Sokka and The Duke to the east facing balcony. The hallway off of it led to a storage room that they used to store the Prince's un-equip-able weapons.

The Duke was staggering under the weight of the swords as he told her about a particularly fat bird he had seen fly by, and how it was sad that she couldn't see birds fly. The boy had a tendency to hold them perpendicular to the ground, therefore, the swords had a tendency to slip out, threaten to fall, then slip back in as the tween quickly righted them.

"Ha, I'm so lucky they got back before my shift." Sokka remarked as he opened the door and let the younger two file in before him, "All that just for a couple of pirouettes and a fancy philosophy."

"I know." The Duke said, "Katara was probably right, it wasn't worth the risk."

"Well, I'm going to give you a valuable gem of wisdom," Sokka told the younger boy, "No matter how right a woman ever is, no matter how much supporting evidence she has, or proof even, never tell her she was right-"

Toph snorted at this.

"All you'll do is subject yourself to a long, boring 'I told you so' lecture."

"Maybe that's just Katara." The Duke told him.

"What are you talking about?!" Sokka asked incredulously, "Look at Toph! She loves to rub people's noses in their mistakes!!"

"I enjoy rubbing people's noses in plenty of other things besides their mistakes." Toph preened.

"Was it just me . . ." Sokka asked suddenly, "Or . . . was there more?"

"More?" Toph asked.

"One . . .two . . . three . . . four . . .Yes!" The Duke was suddenly horrified, "I gave him back his daggers!! I forgot to take them all."

Quickly, Toph felt around with her feet, locating the errant, heat packing fire bender. Instead of being with Haru like she expected, the prince was sitting behind Katara in the bathhouse, his hands on her back. Even though they weren't moving much, she could feel both their hearts hammering in their chests even from all the way across the temple.

She could also sense the dagger strapped under his shirt.

"He's fine." She told the boys hurriedly, "He probably just forgot to fork it over." It was doubtful, the thing dug right into his side as he was sitting. It was a long and thin stiletto, he was probably hoping to pick the lock on the old manacles with it. Toph couldn't blame him, he had to sleep standing up most of the night so he wouldn't lose circulation in his arms when he was tethered to the wall.

"Where is he?" Sokka asked, grabbing the hilt of his sword, "I'll go disarm him."

Toph raised an eyebrow, wondering if Sokka meant disarm or dis-arm. It would definitely be the latter if he found the Prince with his hands all over his half naked baby sister, and then Aang would once again have no fire bending instructor.

"No. I see him, I can do it." Quickly, before the older boy could protest, Toph scampered off across the balcony floor, heading for the baths. Haru and Teo hailed her from where they sat on the fountain, but she waved them off.

"Hey! Have you seen Katara?" Haru yelled after her, "We need to get started cooking soon!"

"I haven't seen anyone. Ever." Toph yelled back evasively before she rounded the corner and climbed a set of crumbling stairs. The two of them didn't even notice her approach, a squabble had broken out, .

_Some warriors they are!_ Toph thought to herself.

"You're horrible!!" Katara accused, and the earth bender decided it was as good a time as any to cut in.

"Umm . . . what are you guys doing?"

Katara got about half of a shriek of surprise out before she thawed the ice and sunk herself completely into the water, ducking to hide her nudity reflexively. Zuko, on the other hand leapt backwards and scrambled to his feet, dropping into a fire bending stance. A tight one as he had little room to maneuver with his cuffs.

"Nothing!" he told the bender, dropping his fighting stance, then glanced over at the tub just in time to see Katara stand from the water and grab her tunic off the floor, holding it in front of her naked chest.

"Zuko was just . . . sparring with me." She cut in lamely.

"Topless." Toph's tone illustrated that she didn't buy it.

"You don't harass him when he doesn't wear a shirt to spar!!"

Toph started to snigger, the water bender was really trying to surf that lie to shore, too bad she had already wiped out.

"Toph!!" Katara raised her voice, flustered, "You can see with your feet! You knew what we were doing, so, why did you interrupt?!"

"To embarrass you. After all, how would you know you're being ridiculous if I'm not here to laugh at you?"

Katara blushed, turned her back and began pulling her tunic on, apparently shamed into silence through having neither excuse nor comeback.

"Sparky." Toph turned to him, and held out her hand expectantly, "You _forgot_ to give me one of your knives. Cough it up."

"He what?!" Katara whirled back around, alarmed.

"You both keep taking my things and you don't see me complaining!" Zuko grumbled.

Toph stared in his general directions for a moment, then laughed again.

"I was just keeping it safe for you." She told him, pulling his purse out of her shirt and tossing it to him.

"Right." Zuko's tone mirrored hers.

"Well, I thought we might as well profit if you betrayed us again. I was going to give it back . . . you know, if you stayed loyal."

"Right, just like Katara is going to return my cloak."

"I think you're both forgetting something!!" Katara interjected, "He's _armed_."

Zuko took a step backwards, casting a pleading look at Toph which she had no way of seeing. Then sighed, accepting his situation.

"Fine, Let me just unbuckle-"

"Put your hands against the wall and spread your legs!" Katara told him, pointing at the wall.

"I . . . I'll just hand it to you."

"Throw it at me, more like it, I'm sure you're capable of it."

It was true, he had had several classes on throwing knives back at the academy, but he barely remembered it. Mai had excelled in that discipline, he was more of a blade and flame sort of man.

Obediently, he turned around and leaned into the wall, spreading his legs. He heard the bender step in and press her hands to his shoulders, patting along his short sleeves, then underneath his armpits.

"It's on his waistband." Toph told her, only to be shushed by both of the older benders. Blinking, she raised her eyebrows, wondering why Zuko wanted her to keep quiet. Probably it was just easier to not make Katara angry.

"I'm checking for any other weapons." the tribeswoman snapped, her hands sliding down his sides, then up across his chest.

"It's just the one."

"How do you know?" Katara undid his belt and pulled his shirt open from behind, finding the blade with her fingers. To grab it she had to press herself fully against the taller man's back and wrap her arms around his waist. Traitorously, her cheek heated from where it was pressed to his shoulder.

"I can see him better than you can!" Toph protested, "Clothes don't really carry vibrations. Believe me, it's just the one knife."

"You missed it the first time!" Katara pulled the sheath out of the waistband of his pants, turned and dropped it to the floor, kicking it to the earth bender, who caught it under her foot. All the while, Zuko ducked his head down, keeping quiet under the water bender's palm, which was firmly planted on his back between his shoulder blades, dissuading him from moving.

"You did too, I wasn't paying attention." Toph shot back, then threw her hands up in defeat, "Fine, just bring him back soon or Haru is going to come looking for you." Scooping the weapon up, she turned, feeling with her feet, looking for Sokka's vibrations.

When she had rounded the corner, Katara began patting his back down, she started up by his shoulders, then worked her way down. The wet silk fabric was so thin beneath her fingers, she felt like there was nothing between his taught muscles and her palms. For a minute, she just let her fingers wander, feeling the strength of his ribs and the tenseness of his muscles, then she bent her head and decided that she should finish what she started, which was checking him for weapons.

Zuko yelped and jumped as he felt both of her hands on his butt. He would have protested, but after the torture she administered the previous night, he didn't think it was wise to provoke her. She squeezed ever so slightly, and the Prince lowered his head and arched his back, pressing his palms harder into the wall. He grit his teeth as his good cheek flushed in embarrassment. It surprised him when he let out a breath that he hadn't noticed he was holding when she began patting down the outside of his leg.

His relief was short lived, as soon as she finished patting down the outside of his leg, she switched to the inside.

"Aie! Katara!!" Zuko tried to sidestep her, "I'm unarmed!! I'm unarmed!!"

Her shoulder slammed into the small of his back and he was suddenly sandwiched between the hard stone wall and the incredibly soft water bender.

"You're unarmed when I verify that you're unarmed!!" she spat, "If you won't let me frisk you, take off your shirt."

"What?!"

"Shirt and your pants." She told him, stepping back off him and putting her hands on her hips impatiently.

"I . . ."

"Underwrappings too."

"But Toph said I was unarmed!!" Zuko turned to face her, hands flattened.

"Toph sometimes lies when it suits her . . . she's not exactly lawful."

"But . . ."

"Now Zuko!" She ordered, "Either do it consciously, or I'll knock you out and thoroughly search you myself."

"Katara, please, allow me to keep some dignity." Zuko begged, "Get Haru . . . Actually, Get Sokka and I'll strip down for him."

Katara shifted, and spread her fingers, and the water that had been pooling lifelessly on the floor curled up to her, like a cobra rearing it's head.

"Okay!! Okay . . ." Zuko grabbed for his belt and shakily unbuckled it, "I'll do it. Just . . . calm down, woman."

"Master bender." She corrected him, setting her jaw stubbornly.

Slowly, the Prince pulled off the belt and dropped it to the floor, the wet fabric of his vest and undershirt fell open, offering a quick glimpse of his toned, moist torso. He reached for the top and pulled it open, letting it slide down his shoulders. The slow pace was more to give her an opportunity to back off, instead, Zuko had a feeling it was teasing her. The shirt and vest slid onto the chain of the manacles and hung there, he looked up at her, but she only crossed her arms and sank down to sit on the rim of one of the tubs. Obviously, she didn't care if he got tangled in his clothes.

Sliding both sleeves up so they looped his left forearm, Zuko reached for the drawstring of his pants. They were still rolled up from heating the bath earlier, so he didn't have to worry about his pointy boots. He glanced at her once, then turned his back, shyly. Over his shoulder he heard her snort, but didn't pay it any mind.

He untied the drawstring of his pants and let them slide to the ground, where he stepped out of them, head forced arrogantly high. Finally, he untied his under wrappings, no sense fighting her over it, and she was about to find out that the dagger had not been the only weapon in his pants.

"Turn around." Katara's voice faltered, as though now she wasn't so sure she had been right to command him to strip.

With all the dignity he could muster, he stretched his arms up over his head and turned around.

Almost lecherously, the water bender was staring openly, almost mesmerized by the sight of him. The broad muscular shoulders flowing down to strong defined abs . . . his legs, his hands, his organ . . . She felt her body heat, and the moths in her stomach seemed to migrate south to her thighs. Her mouth suddenly became dry, and her double-crossing feet took a step closer to him.'

It was then, that Katara understood fully what was going on. She hated the fire bender, she loathed him, she wanted to sink him six feet into the ground. If given the chance, she would humiliate him, torture him, scare him, threaten him, she would even hurt him and enjoy it. He disgusted her, his manners, his history, his conduct, his humor, all she found infuriating and tiring. None of this, however, could combat the simple fact that she really _really REALLY_ wanted to bed him.

Glaring at her defiantly, he gestured to his naked figure.

"Are you convinced now?"

At the sound of his voice, though, she straightened, pretending like he was unimpressive. She swallowed hard, delivering much needed moisture to her parched throat, and took another step towards him.

The Prince watched as she walked around him once, looking him up and down, and he made sure to always be looking in the opposite direction to hide his blush. She tousled his hair, nudged a toe into the back of each knee so he would lift his feet, then finally seized his chin and pulled it down, peering into his mouth.

After the longest minute of his life, the younger girl stepped away and turned her back.

"Alright." She snapped, "Put your clothes back on."

There was the sound of rustling fabric on fabric as the Prince began redressing, and Katara had to fight the urge to turn around and watch him. Instead, she grabbed her own pants and began pulling them back on.

"Why?"

"Why what?" the prince asked.

"Why the knife?"

He paused, she sounded almost disappointed in him. Flaming angry, but also disappointed.

"Nothing." He told her, shimmying back into his top. Mainly he had wanted to see if he could pry the bolt off the wall in his cell so he could get a proper night sleep. Sitting down on the lip of a crumbling tub, he pulled his boots back on, grateful at no longer having to struggle across the rubble of the floor barefoot.

"Come on." Katara turned and motioned for him to follow, "You're helping me cook dinner."

"Isn't it Sokka's turn to-"

"I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Zuko paused, then shrugged to himself and trotted to catch up. If she wanted to play prison guard twenty four hours a day, that was her business.

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**Thanks for all the reviews everyone!! I love hearing from you, getting your input, seeing what you liked/didn't like, and what you thought wasn't clear. It always helps when an artist gets feedback from their viewers, it makes it easier to know where you're coming from, and where you want to take things to. Even harsh but constructive reviews are great to get, It's a lot harder to figure out your own mistakes than it is for other people to see them.**

**I reply to any reviews that seem to warrant it, usually if they have a question or a guess, or a comment. Remember if you do leave an anonymous review, I cannot answer any questions you ask.**

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**Sorry about the long hiatus, I blame St. June's day, for which I put out a sexy one shot and an even sexier fanart. The fic is up, titled 'Afterglow', and they're both up on Livejournal, link to the art is below.**

**http : / / community dot livejournal dot com / capslock_zutara / 396079 dot html?#cutid1**

**I'm going to try to get a few fanarts colored before I put up a NTCTW chapter, but I'm sure I'll have it out soon. (Not sure how many duplicate readers I have)**

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**Thanks to sumhope for the idea of the dagger!! Go check out their fic!!**

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**Thanks again!!**

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	7. Chapter 7: The Upper Hand

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: M

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

**Beta: **

.

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**Disclaimer: **Fan work only, I don't own the Avatar the Last Airbender series. If I did, you can bet it would have been Zutara, gone for more than three seasons, and only been appropriate for Adult Swim . . . or HBO.

Maybe Bryke should have worked the sexy angle, I hear they had more adult fans than children.

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**Chapter 7: The Upper Hand**

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"_Painted Lady!! You misunderstand!! I offer you the comfort of my body without the obligation of placating it."_

_This seemed to intrigue her, and she turned around to study him for a long moment. Finally, with an air of amusement, she gave him a curt nod, and motioned for him to follow her into the mist._

_In a few steps, he found himself in her demesne, at the bottom of the river, but at the same time, not at the bottom of the river. He respectfully slipped out of his shoes before crossing the half lit chamber to set the bottle down on her table._

"_Make yourself useful." She told him, "Fetch the lotion from the cupboard."_

_Spider surveyed the vast assortment of jars almost obscenely confusing. Women seemed to surround themselves with sweet smelling creams like a hermit crab magpie decorated his shell. Uncertainly, and with full appreciation of the embarrassing consequences, he reached out and selected one at random._

"_That's soap." Her voice was impatient as she stood behind him, "I told you to fetch the lotion. It's on the right."_

_As she spoke, her fingers trailed along the rim of his scarf, poking his third and fifth eyes, causing them to blink involuntarily and send tiny tremors across the fabric. With a twitch of her wrist, she pulled the fabric from him, exposing the miniature insect orbs. Spider looked in literally every direction but at her, suddenly uncomfortable, having not drunken nearly enough fire wine to make up for his past exposures. Woman would fall at his feet due to the handsomeness of his features, his dark skin and black hair, but, the instant they caught a fleeting glimpse of his true form, they would run screaming._

_It was their nature, after all, to shriek and flee at the sight of spiders. Painted Lady, however stared at his punctuated forehead for a few seconds, then dropped the scarf in a disinterested scoff and retreated. Although her face was not the vision of an aroused, welcoming lover, neither did she look completely disgusted or spooked. He could only stare with all his eyes as the curvaceous specter slipped her flowing robes off. They poured down her figure like liquid silk, and pooled around her delicate painted feet. Clearly contrasting the milky skin of her stomach was the belly chain, secured delicately with a clasp._

_Bending backwards, she dripped herself onto the cushions and rolled onto her front, looping her arms around her breasts and resting her head on her forearms. Even her back was painted, long strawberry gashes compartmentalizing the perfection of the quivering muscles beneath._

_Without a word, Spider replaced his scarf and fetched the jar she had mentioned, generously coated his fingers with it's bounty. He prostrated himself next to her, one set of eyes examining the belly chain he had been sent to fetch while the rest memorized the architecture of her back._

_The paint, he decided, must have, in reality, been tattoos, for they didn't smudge beneath his wandering hands, no matter how steadily he pressed. He let his hands explore the back of her neck and shoulders, coaxing small sighs of pleasure from her. Slowly, he eased the tension from her ribs and spine, and was completely taken aback when she turned over and arched her back, her fingers entwining with the waves of her hair that cascaded down her nearly bare chest._

"_You're staring." She observed. It was a prompt to remind him that he was not there to enjoy her, he was there for her to enjoy him. That was the terms he has offered, and those were the terms she had agreed to._

"_I apologize."_

_Once again, Spider's hands crawled across her, and he conjured his second and third sets of hands to make up for it. One pair of arms supported him, the second kneaded her shoulders, while the last pressed into her stomach. He hoped with so many hands scuttling every which way across her person, she would not notice when he filched the ornament._

_Painted Lady's jaw slackened, and she wet her scarlet lower lip, and flesh toned upper lip delicately with her tongue. Encircling his wrists with her fingers, she moved them from her shoulders to her breasts. She was not a woman born of subtlety. She knew how to get what she wanted. As his fingers kneaded the delicate flesh, she moaned loudly, her eyes fluttering shut._

_Spider leaned in, lowering himself over her on his middle pairs of biceps, his top hands untying the strings that rigged the cloth across her chest. As he peeled the silken fabric from her, he lowered his mouth to her neck, and her ribcage arched to meet him._

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CHOP.

CHOP.

CHOP.

CHOP.

Zuko cringed every time the knife came down on the poor, defenseless carrot. Why did she have to mince it so thoroughly?! The chunks had gone from bite sized to nibble sized to practically shredded, and just when he thought the torture was over, just when she scraped the carrot mush into the pot of simmering water, she grabbed a fresh, whole one from the basket. Obviously, since she couldn't beat up on him, she was taking her frustrations out on the food.

The poor, defenseless food.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what part of his anatomy she was pretending it was. Even the bravest of men would cower in the face of such fury, their dissection was painful to watch. Zuko had never really pegged himself as one of those airbender types that would only eat food if it was picked from a tree or dead already, but, even he was starting to feel sorry for the damn carrots.

"You probably don't need to cut them so small." Haru was trying to play peacemaker as he helped her chop the vegetables. Even though he was polite, Zuko couldn't help but get the feeling that the older boy was annoyed with him.

Katara was sulking miserably as she worked, though, the satisfying crunch that was produced every time she pressed down on their dinner was soothing her. The way Zuko kept wincing was a welcome added bonus as well.

"I found some squash." Haru offered, pointedly ignoring the slouching firebender sitting cross legged in the corner. He couldn't believe Katara was insisting on babysitting him, but hadn't the nerve to bring it up to her. Everyone was walking on eggshells because of the girl's moodiness. One minute she would be fine to help Teo break into a sealed chamber, the next she would be barking orders and making even stubborn earthbenders like him and Toph scramble to get out of her way.

He had come to the conclusion that she was either PMSing something fierce, or, she needed a man to help her vent some frustrations. Haru would have been happy to offer his assistance if only he could thing of a way to proposition her that wouldn't end with him frozen to the ceiling if he was wrong. Although, he mused, even if he made it to her bed unscathed, he would probably get a concussion from getting banged repeatedly into the headboard.

"Zuko." The Prince looked up hopefully as Katara acknowledged him for the first time, "Get the rice bag from the store room."

"I'll do-" Haru ventured.

"I'm sure Zuko wants to help. Don't you _Prince_ Zuko? Want to help?" She was mocking him, rolling his name around on her tongue to bait him. He returned the favor.

"Of course, _Master_ Water bender." The prince in question stood, bowed with an exaggerated flourish, and trudged across the room to the stone archway that separated their makeshift kitchen from their improvised pantry to fetch it for her.

"Katara, why are you upset with him now?" Haru asked her softly so the fire bender would not be able to hear.

"No reason."

"You weren't so angry earlier... did he do something to you?"

"No."

"You can tell me, I mean, I have plenty of male friends, and, I know some of them can be less then... respectful... when it comes to boundaries."

"Oh..." Katara felt her cheeks heat. How had Haru gotten the impression that something was going on between them anyway? "He's very respectful of boundaries. Nothing is going on."

He raised an eyebrow. That was a contradiction if he ever heard one. The Price couldn't both respect her boundaries _and_ not be involved with her in some way.

"It's not!!"

Luckily, it didn't seem serious. Anyone who was that ashamed of and disgusted by their passions could not keep them burning hot for long.

"Of course, that's why you insist on taking night shifts with him, wear his clothes, and constantly obsess about where he is and what he is doing." Haru paused, "Not to mention the day Combustion Man attacked, you were in his room... at midnight." The older teen wondered if if he played his cards right, he could get in on that action.

"Nothing is going on!!" she hissed, stabbing the knife point down hard onto her cutting board so that it stood erect when she released it.

"Okay, um, my mistake." Haru scooted backwards.

"Is this the right bag?"

"I don't know... Does it have _rice_ in it?!" The sentence was sincere before the sudden sarcasm. She muttered about his wits, or lack thereof, under her breath.

"Give them here." Haru dropped the corner of his mouth, making a face and gesturing to the water bender with his eyebrows before rolling his eyes. Zuko reached out and proffered the bag to the earth bender.

"What smells like lavender?" Haru asked, his right eye narrowing in confusion.

"Katara." Quickly, Zuko hid his hands behind his back.

"No, Katara is over there."

"Zuko! Why are you just standing around, go make yourself useful and refill my water skins." They were already practically bursting, she never let them go empty, but, Zuko knew an escape route when he saw one, and was happy to seize the opportunity. Picking up the water filled hides, he dashed out the door like someone had seen his lost honor by the fountain.

"Haru, is the squash chopped up yet?"

"Wait, now, hold on a minute, _sweetness_, what the HELL was all that about?!" Haru yanked the vegetable away from her, holding it hostage until she answered.

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After dinner, Katara found herself pacing back and forth restlessly desperately trying to rid herself of the vast stores of pent up energy she had. It wasn't even the full moon yet, but her nerves were standing on end. The betrayal she felt from that afternoon was fresh in her mind, and was made all the more sharp by her impending guard duty.

Walking over to the wall, she cartwheeled forward and landed easily in a handstand. Placing her heels on the wall, she felt all the blood in her body rushing to her brain, bent by the force of gravity. It was as if the extra blood washed away the ideas and mental ranting that kept surfacing, and, she found quiet at last.

She inhaled deeply.

The intercostals between her ribs expanded.

She exhaled deeply.

The intercostals between her ribs contracted.

A good deal of stress and anxiety seemed to disperse with the oxygen, as though she had exhaled out the very hormones that plagued her.

Her body wanted him. She finally had accepted that, and admitting the problem was always the first step to curing it. Her body whined and ached and begged for him whenever he was close. Whenever it caught his scent or his gaze it yearned for him, twinging and tickling in the most inconvenient ways. Her traitorous body wanted to straddle him and test drive every bit of the explicit sexual knowledge that she had so recently acquired.

Stupid hormones.

The war would have been lost ages ago if it hinged on her stupid hormones. The Fire Nation would have only had to have made it's Prince drop his pants and she would have just rolled over. Freakin' literally.

Momo scampered up to her and poked his tiny nose at her mouth, searching her for food. She blew hard into his face, so he chattered in surprise and galloped away.

Stupid animals.

It was easier to be angry with the Fire Prince than to deal with the urges, but, she was exhausted from maintaining it. Everyone was annoyed with her, and she was pretty sure they wouldn't take much more of it. She would have to at least stop taking it out on the rest of the gang.

There had to be a solution, being cruel to him, although it was working, wasn't making anyone happy. Ignorance, distraction, or indulgence, she wanted a fourth option. He was feeling insecure and hording weapons, she was pissy all the time, and the rest of the group was annoyed with the whole display.

Stupid people.

Katara took another deep breath. She heard footsteps approaching. They were made by someone in shoes, so, it wasn't Toph or Teo.

"Hey sis."

"What is it Sokka."

"It's eleven."

"Already?!"

"Yea, though, you look a little worn down, maybe Toph or Teo should keep an eye-"

"No, no. I'm fine." Gracefully she lowered first one leg, then the other, then stood up, "I'll take care of him."

Despite appearances, she felt calmer; more in control.

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It was fucking freezing.

Katara shivered, even swaddled in the blanket she had brought with her. The buildings seemed to be specially built to channel tunnels of wind down and through them, and, although it must have been nice if one had been able to fly, earthbound water benders found little to appreciate from the ancient architecture. Fondly, she thought about her parka, which was stored safely and neatly in Omashu where she had left it. Had she not been on guard duty, she would have grabbed her sleeping bag and crawled in next to Sokka in his room.

Zuko, for his part, did not seem to mind the cold. He slept peacefully, waking up every half hour or so to switch his position. He couldn't sleep long standing up, leaning against the wall, and his arms started to hurt if he sat too long. At least he was under that much discomfort, since the cold did nothing to him.

_I bet he is warm and cozy. . ._ Katara fumed, watching him darkly over the hem of her blanket. Her lower stomach twinged at the thought of cuddling up to his warm body, and she tried to ignore the compulsion to get closer.

She could though, if she wanted to.

She could curl right up against him, and he wouldn't say a word in protest. He would warm the room, instead, if she asked, she was sure of that, but, somehow, that option didn't appeal to her as much as the snuggling.

Attraction thrummed in her belly, coiled tight by the stress of her anticipation. With nothing else to distract her, she found herself staring at the man while he slept. Maybe it was like a sore muscle, you just had to stretch it and use it so you could work it out of your system. On the other hand, it could be like an addiction, one taste and you would just keep coming back for more.

Was she willing to risk it?

Maybe if she only indulged a little... just to see what he was like. She could reject him at any minute, and he would back off.

Just a few minutes.

Just a ghost of an interaction.

That was all she needed.

Just enough to uncoil the pressure in her stomach enough to make it bearable.

Just enough to vent her frustration.

Almost against her will, she slid closer to investigate him, creeping on hands and feet in a slow, crouched crawl. He had sat down and dosed off without a word minutes earlier, so, she had a while before he lost circulation and would wake up again.

Every time his eyelids flickered, or his fingers twitched, she would freeze and hold her breath for a minute or two. It wasn't so much that she didn't want him to wake up, so much that she didn't want to have to explain herself to him if he did. What could she even say when he asked her what she was doing?

'I'm cold' would work, short, to the point, and mostly true. 'Shut up' was workable, though she would have to really sell it for him to be stunned into silence. 'I want you' was the most truthful, and, although it worked in the scrolls she read, it didn't seem like it would do anything but make everyone uncomfortable in real life.

Unbearably slowly, she closed the distance between them as time lagged longer and longer. Inch by inch, Katara maneuvered herself in between his legs, slowly, one vertebrae at a time aligning her back to rest against his chest, and her head to be cushioned by the swell of his shoulder.

He _was_ hot, and the heat seemed to steep into her, warming her back and shoulders where they touched. She sighed contentedly for the first time in ages, blowing the air from her lungs out through her chilled fingers. He smelled attractive too. Not exactly good, they all ran around too much and washed too little to smell _good_, but, he smelled masculine, the sweat from the morning still dry on his skin. Something about it was appealing. Some sort of pheromones or attractants that she couldn't identify still clung to him.

No matter how nice it was, she couldn't stay, he would wake up and have to stand. She could insist he was her prisoner and that she could use him as a pillow if she wanted, but, his limbs came before her comfort, she couldn't knowingly endanger them.

He would need to stand... He would _have_ to stand...

Unless...

Where was he going to go, _really_? There was a thousand foot drop in every direction. He wasn't stupid... He wasn't _that_ stupid, at least. He didn't _have_ to be tied to the wall... especially if it was inconvenient for her. Shackled was enough. He was smart enough to know to keep his head down and that there was nowhere to go, right? She trusted him enough for that, right?

Hesitantly, she reached up and pulled the latch from the chain, catching his dangling wrists as they tumbled limply downwards, robbed of their metal hammocks. She cringed, sure that the momentum had woken him, but, he was still unconscious to the world, his breath even and deep, and his eyelids didn't twitch. He must have been more exhausted than he let on.

Carefully, Katara drew his arms and shackles up over her head, so that they encircled her in a warm, comfortable embrace. Her own palms gripping his wrists, she guided his hands to lay flat on her stomach, where she could keep an eye on them.

In truth, Zuko had snapped awake the instant she dragged her foot in the first scuttle. However, he had learned from his sister that the element of surprise wasn't something to give up so quickly, so, he feigned sleep. Usually she left him alone while he napped, and if she wanted to scold him so badly, she could damn well cross the room and wake him up. He didn't have to make it easier for her.

Her pattern of movement, though, was all wrong. She would have just stood up, crossed the room in a few strides and jabbed him in the thigh with her toe, or shaken his shoulder. Now, it was like she was trying to be quiet, trying _not_ to wake him. The fact that she didn't want him to wake up was enough to spark his curiosity, and he held still, waiting to see what she would do.

It wasn't easy. He didn't like not being able to see what was happening around him. Every time he would twitch nervously though, the girl approaching him would freeze, and he would have to wait an agonizing minute or two before she decided he was unconscious and resumed crawling.

It nearly surprised him out of his skin when he felt a hand on his knee, then, slowly, a body press into his, curling up into the curve of his torso. He was going to say something, but, before he could, he heard her sigh happily.

That was new. Usually it was exasperation.

They sat like that for almost a minute, long enough for the Prince to fret that his now hammering heart was giving away his lucidity. She didn't seem to notice the quickening of his pulse though. She was too preoccupied. Then, he had felt her detach him from the wall and wrap his arms around her, and, he had to work hard not to smile victoriously. Even if it was for convenience and survival, it meant that he was winning back fragments of her trust. She was letting him have his hand, that was a leap, and she was letting him keep her warm, that was a bound.

Katara's mind wandered as she pulled the cloak back up over her, and him by extension. Slowly, the cloth chamber that encased them warmed, and she felt the tension melt from her shoulders and neck. Her thoughts, it seemed, soon wandered to her newly discovered reading material. Somehow, her mind kept running in circles, proffering ideas and daring her to follow through with them.

He was asleep, and, she had to admit, she was curious. He reminded her of Jet, and had circumstances been different, maybe it would have been the lanky teenager that cradled her now, instead of the muscular Prince. _Or both..._

She chewed on her lip indecisively.

Maybe just a little petting, he wouldn't dare complain. Who would he complain to anyhow? Nobody cared about his personal safety very much anymore. Toph and her brother might yell at her a little, but, they wouldn't take Zuko's side on principal. If he woke up and told her to stop, dead seriously, she would, but, the impression she got from her books was that men hoped for such advances. Anyway, he knew very well that he was at her mercy the instant he let her tie him up.

Swallowing hard and finding the back of his hands with her own, she laced her fingers in between the base of his, getting a grip on them so she could steer him gently enough not to wake him.

Lifting his right hand so that only his fingertips dragged along the linen fabric of her tunic, she led it upward, petting across her navel and upper abs in a very light, painstakingly slow caress. The opposite hand moved in a mirror fashion, slithering across her lower belly before brushing her hip. It felt nice, nothing special, but definitely nice. It didn't make her want to moan and writhe like the girls from the stories, but, she reasoned that they were probably exaggerations anyway. The ease at which she was moving him was making her bolder though, and, the next time his right hand circled around, she drew it up higher, pausing to press it into her breast.

The sensations coaxed a small hiccup in her previously level breathing, and blood began to rush to the surface of her skin. She felt her face heat in surprise, maybe they were not so exaggerated. Changing her grip on his hand so that she could open and close his fingers by putting pressure on them with her own, she cupped his hand around her breast, squeezing gently. It was an entirely different sensation than when she touched them herself. Her brain wasn't receiving breast-on-hand signals from her palm, only hand-on-breast signals from her breast. The fact that it was someone else's hand doubled the sensations instead of halved them.

Zuko gulped, his mouth suddenly dry.

_What was she doing_?! Well, he knew what she was doing, but.... _Why?!_ It was a prank. Spirits, it _had_ to be a trick. She knew he was awake, and, she was trying to mess with him. _Spirits_, _her _breast_ was in his _hand!!

Using her thumb, she pressed his own into her nipple, flicking again and again, and he felt the small patch of skin slowly harden, even through the tunic and the insufferable bindings she wore for support. Pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth, he debated whether or not he should 'wake up'. If she didn't want him touching her, why was she guiding his hand? Instead of rejecting her or accepting her, he decided that the best course of action was to remain neutral.

She would lose interest once she had had her fun.

"Ah!"

She had guided is fingers across the juncture of her leg and hip, and, the sudden mewl and shudder that went with it seemed to surprise her, and she pulled his hands away from her body... for all of four seconds.

He felt her turn to look at him again, and he bowed inward and focused on his breathing, taking deep inhales, then letting muscle pressure squeeze the air evenly back out of him. Reassured by the glance, Katara turned back around.

Leaving his left hand on her stomach and his right on her breast, she caressed across her thigh, then slid her hand up under her blue tunic, hiking it up to her belt, then undoing it, letting the fabric slide open. Again, she reached for his hands.

Zuko wondered what she was doing, he could hear the rustle of fabric and could tell she was fussing with her clothes, but was taken off guard when his fingertips were dragged across the hot bare skin of her stomach. It was easy for him to tell at a touch that her skin was hotter than normal with lust. Whatever the reason she was cuddling with him, she was physically enjoying it. That made the likelihood of it being a farce plummet.

His mind seemed to blank out. All the wondering and the agonizing settled into the oblivion of instinct. She was far too disgusted by him and his betrayal to let him touch her as part of a hoax. That point, he believed deeply. She had to be pleasuring herself for real. She _had_ to be.

The Fire Prince wanted to stop her, not because he didn't want to touch her, but, because he _did_. He wanted to take over her fumbling, exploring hands and show her the pleasures a real, experienced, and eager older lover could provide for her. It was dishonorable, backhanded even, to just sit and let her give him a tour of her body, yet, he couldn't help but rationalize that he hadn't asked for it. He hadn't initiated or hinted at it. He was chained up in a prison cell, for the love of the spirits. This was all the Water Bender's idea, and, if she wanted to use him, could he really deny her? He had been yearning for someone assertive, emotional, and dominant, and, now that the universe and fate had dumped him right at her feet? Well, he wanted it. She, on the other hand had been darting around the whole temple a cesspool of frustrated emotions and breeding hormones. It was like, she needed to be pleasured, and she needed to find a release before she drove everyone around her partially insane. If she wanted to rub one off on his hands, and he wanted the attention, could he really justify stopping her? It was heroic, noble even, to martyr himself for her pleasure.

Stroke by stroke, he leaned her body as she ran his hands over it, he memorized the sensitive spots and the ticklish spots with the attentiveness of a devoted husband. Deep down, he knew he was little more than a new toy she had decided to play with, a doll that she would grind an orgasm out on and then discard.

It made him feel dirty.

It made him feel aroused.

She let go of his hands and began wiggling back and forth again, and the squirming was creating the most pleasant friction. He licked his lips, trying hard to keep his breath steady and his body still. It was torture. It was tempting to open an eye and see what on earth she was doing, but, he didn't dare. If he came out of his mysteriously deep sleep, she would probably only hit him and then fume. Instead, he relied on his other senses, he listened for the scuffing of boots, clinking of chain, and the sweeping of fabric, and felt for the changes in temperature.

Katara twisted this way and that, contorting herself out of the bindings that she wore. Somehow, the modesty that had bound her earlier had dispersed as she felt the preliminary pulses of pleasure through her system. It surprised her how quickly she was ready to go, she was already aching and wet, all she could pin it on was the sheer attraction between herself and the man wrapped around her. Leaning back into him, she was surprised at his erection.

Zuko tensed, waiting for her to call him out, but, no such accusation flew. Instead, she squeaked softly and made new space between them as she turned to look at him. He still slept placidly, even if his body was responding to her. Katara searched her medical memory, and found nothing disproving that a man could be both asleep and hard at the same time, so, she dismissed it as instinct and lay back against him.

Replacing his limp hands onto her stomach, she bit down on her lower lip hesitantly. He would probably not appreciate being used, but, it wasn't like he was in a position to make demands either. He seemed to be still asleep. Although she was suspicious, she didn't want to stop either.

Grabbing his wrist and fingers with both her hands, she slipped his upwards to cup her naked breast. His arm was heavy, hard to move, and hard to coordinate, but she didn't really care. The warm skin against her own made a shiver run down the length of her back, and she pressed backwards, deeper into his embrace. Using her fingers, she managed to pluck out the chords of attention she wanted with his.

It surprised her how rough the pads of his fingers were. Years of climbing, tumbling, and swordplay had taken it's toll on his skin. She liked it. It added to the illusion that it was him, not her, that was engineering the foreplay. Raising his fingers, she brought them out from under the blanket and to her parted lips.

Why was she lifting his hand? Was she checking to make sure it was clean? Then, the fire Prince felt the hot, wet envelope of her mouth close around his digits. Zuko's breath hitched in his throat as she began to suck gently, her tongue darting over the tips. She was getting bolder. The fear of waking him was subsiding. Either she knew he was conscious and didn't care, or she didn't care whether or not he was awake.

Katara thought she heard him whimper, but, didn't pay it much mind. It was like the information arrived in her mind but didn't register or compute, it simply got put on a waiting list of other thoughts that would be sorted out once she had finished her bodily explorations.

Letting her head gently fall back, so that it rested on his shoulder, she rocked her ribcage upwards, using her own hand to stimulate her neglected nipple. With a few circular strokes, she found it wasn't the nipple itself that was the most sensitive, but rather the areola right above it, and she concentrated his affections there. Using his saliva coated thumb, she stroked a few wet circles, then pinched his fingers around the tip and rubbed them gently back and forth.

"Spirits!" She swore under her breath, grabbing his hand and placing it between her legs, pushing down on her core. She pressed her knees together in response to the sudden throbbing in her root and sacral chakras, clamping her legs down hard on both his and her own hand. This really didn't help, it seemed to only sharpen the desires inside her. Almost on their own accord, her hands abandoned his and found the drawstring to her pants, loosening the waistband and probing her fingers down below the white and blue garments into her core.

Had she not been so distracted, she would have noticed the twitching of the fingers on her breast, as though they wanted to move, and the sound of the man behind her clearing his throat quietly, trying not to draw attention to it.

Zuko's grip on her tightened a fraction in disappointment. Was she planning on finishing herself? He had been anticipating the feeling of his hand squeezed between her hips and her own hands and pants more than he had though. In his lap, he felt and heard her breath escalate to a soft, squeaking gasp in the back of her nose and throat. He wondered if she was this quiet under normal circumstances, or, if she was trying not to wake him.

Katara easily swayed her fingers in memorized patters, her body responding and shivering to the stimulation. It was nice, the weight of his fingers on her abdomen and chest, the clinking of the chain that bound him, the rhythm of his breath and heartbeat. It was getting warm enough so that she threw off the blanket, letting the cool air kiss across her exposed skin, calming her overheated blood.

It was too much. The water bender gasping and shivering against him, rubbing her lower back against his erection in the kind of inattentive wiggle that got him going and took him nowhere; the sudden scent of her arousal, unveiled by the blankets; the fear that his role in the play was over. He was about to open his eyes and react when he felt her hand retreat and grab his, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief.

She tried to slide his hand down her under her bindings, but, found the material was wound too tightly to accommodate all three of the hands necessary. With an impatient whine, she raised her hips and slipped the whole thing down, wrenching it off her. Time was a factor, she could feel her release slipping away with the long hiatus.

Zuko swallowed hard as he was piloted him past her navel and her trimmed curls to where she wanted him, and wondered if she would notice if he bucked his hips into her. He heard another long frustrated whine, and felt the girl in his lap shift, widening her legs to a straddle. He had a hunch he knew what the problem was, she couldn't move his fingers as quickly as she wanted them to go; as quickly as she needed them to go.

"Z-Zuko . . ."

The Fire Bender had had enough.

At the sound of his name, Zuko's eyes clicked open, and he registered for the first time the red skinned black haired water bender he held. The fingers of his left hand gently kneading her breast, while his right hand smoothly broke the control of her's.

Hugging her more tightly to him in a way that he hoped came across as reassuring, he found and expertly ran his fingers across her in a sped up version of what she had been trying to accomplish before.

Katara felt panic rise in her throat. He was awake and fully aware of what was going on. She was about to grab the chain that bound his hands and yank when his thumb twitched across her center just the way she had been moving it, only faster and more accurately.

"Oh!" She gasped, her hands retreating from between her legs to give him more room to work. Her fingers found the fabric of his pants and griped it hard, twisting the silk in on itself, "Again . . . just like that . . ."

White heat that had both nothing and everything to do with firebending was building inside of her, rising and falling in waves that swelled in time to the rhythm of his fingers. Her toes curled inside her boots, and she pushed hard into the stone floor, pressing her whole body hard into the Fire Bender behind her.

"Don't stop . . ."

She was holding her breath in anticipation, and that would get her nowhere. Just like the fire in firebending, the fire in her body was fed by her breath, and would flicker out if she didn't feed it. Zuko used his free hand to adjust her against him so he could reach her, then pulled the collar of her tunic to the side, letting it slide off her shoulder and down her arm. Leaning forward, he closed his mouth on the sensitive skin of her neck, pressing his tongue into her corded muscle. Then, he bit. Not enough to bruise, but enough to surprise her.

Katara's astonished gasp was all her body needed, and the breath tore back from her lungs as a long, enthusiastic moan of pleasure. She twitched in his arms, tiny micro contractions sending spasming waves of gratification across her. The Fire Prince supported her, pressing lightly on her sweet spots, but no longer seeking to stimulate them. He refused to give up his mouth hold on her neck though, and continued to kiss the skin softly.

He knew it was over when her death grip on his pants loosened, and she sagged back, her mouth slightly open, and her eyes closed.

There was nothing to say. Zuko had no words. Pillow talk was for two people who were in love, who had sweet nothings to whisper amid the aftershocks. What could he possibly say to her? 'Was it good for you?' or 'Do you want to go again?' seemed redundant and insensitive. What was he expecting from her, some sort of confession of secret desire or a word of thanks? He would be lucky if she didn't yell at him for daring to touch her!

"I thought you were asleep!" she accused, but, her heart wasn't in it. She was in too good of a mood with the hormones from her orgasm still heavy in her blood.

"You woke me up."

He drew his hands off of her, then raised his fingers to his mouth to taste her. Before he could reach his lips though, she grabbed his wrist and pressed his hand into the stone floor they sat on. The dust and dirt stuck to his somewhat moist skin, robbing it of it's oral appeal.

Zuko sighed, but didn't protest.

Wobbly, as thought her knees weren't quite cooperative yet, she pulled herself first to her hands and knees, then to standing. She turned and towered over him, her hands on her hips. Somehow, she looked imposing, even with her rumpled hair, her unbound tunic, her pants hanging low, and her chest bindings barely clinging to her shoulders.

"This... thing." She gestured to the both of them, "It never leaves the dungeon. If you tell anyone, I'll see to it that the Fire Nation will never have heirs from _your_ loin."

"I'm not going to tell anyone Katara." He told her truthfully, "I know what it's like to lose your honor. Whatever passes between us is our own business."

"Oh?! You say that like you think there will be more than one incident!"

Zuko shrugged and looked away.

"Answer me!"

"Well, I don't know, that's up to you."

Katara was about to reply that she wouldn't ever want his hands on her, but, decided that the argument was futile at best, insane at worst. After all, she had initiated, she had specifically put his hands onto her person.

"I assume, though," he continued, irony audible in his words, "That you don't trust me enough to get intimate."

"I'll never trust you!"

"Well . . . I trust you Katara." He caught her gaze with his own as he spoke, and the water bender was taken aback by the genuine look of confidence he gave her. It was true, she didn't need Toph to verify it, it was written all over his face.

"How can you say that!!" Katara demanded, more confused than angry, "I could kill you."

"You wouldn't." His eyes drifted closed, as though he was planning to go back to sleep now that her needs had been tended to.

"I could... I could hurt you!!" He was right, she wouldn't kill him. However, maiming? That was a different story.

He looked up at her again for a moment before answering.

"I trust that if I couldn't take it and asked you to stop, you would."

"I... I might not!!"

"Then I trust your judgment, we've fought often enough that I know you know what I can and cannot take." He slumped back forward, again trying to end the conversation and resume his slumber.

"I could make you do things!!" She dropped down to kneel in front of him so she could see his face better.

"I hope you do, you deserve help with the chores"

"No, I mean... _humiliating_ things."

He looked up at her. Katara shifted off her shins so she could lean forward and pull her tunic closed in front.

"I am your humble servant, Master Water Bender Katara." His face was maddening, the way it was so peaceful. It was as though he had accepted his situation and yielded all his power to her. He was just so damn _accepting_.

"I... You... You're such a jerk!"

She would prove him wrong!!

Almost ripping the chain from his lap, she hauled the sleepy Prince forward onto his knees and hands. Grabbing a handful of his hair, though not hard enough to hurt him, she pressed his face against the dusty metal armor of her boots.

"Polish my boots!!" she ordered.

He reached for the hem of his vest.

"With your tongue!"

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**Yay!! I updated!!  
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**Sorry about the hiatus, but, as I've said before, I work primarily on Net to Catch the Wind, and then do this when I feel like it. I am an attention whore though, and if the tide of number of reviews shifts, I may just shift my concentration of interest.**

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**Ok, news, Midsummer Madness has been nominated for a UFO award. Yaaay!! Everyone should check it out and vote... I couldn't figure out **_**how**_** to vote, but, I have total confidence in you, my reader, and your ability to figure shit out.**

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**Questions, comments, suggestions, proclamations of love (or slavery), I love to get feedback from you guys.  
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**Leave me love!**


	8. Chapter 8: Think on Your Feet

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: M

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

**Beta: UNBETAED**

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**Disclaimer: **Bryke, I reject your canon and replace it with my own!!

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**Chapter 8: Think on Your Feet**

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_Spider's hands shook as they unhooked the belly chain from her waist. It was not only his inebriation that made him confident, but, the whole situation in general. He was sure that with all three pairs of his hands wandering across her skin, the Lady would have trouble keeping track of them all. Of course, there was the added cover story that he was only trying to disrobe her, and had not thought twice about the bauble._

_Immediately, and, out of nowhere, her hands encircled his wrists, possessing vice-like strength known only to the spirits. She was an incarnation of a lake, and he, a mere trickster god, she had far more spiritual powers at her disposal than he did, and judging by her demeanor, would not be shy about using them to protect herself or her wards._

"_What foulness is this?" she demanded, wrenching his hands away. The flowing fabric of her drapes and veils began taking on a life of their own, turning into mist around him so thickly that he could no longer see his hand in front of his face, and, Spider had no shortage of eyes._

"_I know not of what you speak." Spider insisted, shrinking back away from her. He was at once, sorry for his brash recoiling. He no longer had any bearings in the mist, and no longer knew where he was. The air he breathed became cold and dank and smelled of open spaces._

"_Monkey King put you up to this, hasn't he?!" She scolded, beginning to reform in front of him, her eyes becoming visible first. They hovered, disembodied in front of him long before the rest of her moved from nothingness to transparency._

"_What?!"_

"_He neglected to tell you that he paid me a visit last summer solstice, he was seeking to filch my chain then too. You can tell him that I use it to protect the village that makes it's home in my waters. It allows me to command the wind and rain, so it never howls too ferociously. It allows me to command the water and the current, so the floods never rise above their catwalks. It allows me to command the fog and mist, so they may hide if they need sanctuary. It allows me to command the fish, so their nets are never empty. What would you do with it?! You, a walker between the worlds, without rank in the Spirit Realm or purpose in the human one! You're not even an efficient trickster, not as smart as Monkey King or Coyote, you take their falls for them instead."_

_As she raged, growing more and more solid as the mist and river fed her figure, Spider looked around. Instead of the shore, she had taken him to a strange underwater cavern. He tried to phase out, but the mist rising from the ground stopped him. She was using the muscle of her more powerful magic to keep him trapped._

_The full realization then struck him as he felt the rays of the sun creeping around the axis of the earth, like the sands of the hourglass slipping away. If she didn't relax her chokehold on him, the solstice would pass and he would be trapped in the human world for the next few months until the winter solstice._

_This in itself was not terrifying, Spider had spent many months wandering the human realm on purpose, simply for fun. He would take the form of a lonely wanderer, or a mysterious bard, or a loose ostrich horse. Yet, the idea of being held hostage by another spirit twisted in his gut._

_Monkey King was probably rolling with laughter. Spider knew him well enough to understand he would be nicknamed 'Painted Lady's Pet' or something of the like for the next few centuries. He also knew that Monkey King wouldn't leave him there forever. Sooner or later, he would tire of laughing at him, and wish, once again, to laugh with him as they thought up new schemes together._

"_I should throw you to the Face Stealer, but, I think you will be more effective as a warning to the rest of your archetype." Painted Lady stepped forward, running her fingers tantalizingly across his bare chest. "First, I expect an apology."_

_Spider looked at her hatefully, then, dissolved into millions of tiny black spiders beneath her probing fingertips. He scuttled every which way, his awareness divided over millions of tiny sets of eyes. Everywhere he looked though, every crack he squeezed into or rock he tunneled under was firmly blocked by mist and water. She stood there through all of it, the floor nothing but a black wriggling mass of legs and mandibles, and Spider soon decided he had no choice but to play whatever game she assigned. Grudgingly, he reformed, bowing deeply before her, his forehead pressed to the stone._

"_A thousand apologies to the most forgiving and benign of spirits, a Lady of which there is no compare. This miserable excuse for a spirit has found enlightenment in her, and will never again seek to commit such degrading and shameful trickery."_

"_I see you have spent time in the Si Wong desert, you know of their flattery." She scoffed, "Well, my prisoner, it is going to take more than that to buy your freedom, in fact, it is going to take more than that to apologize."_

_Spider looked at her questioningly, all his eyes blank._

"_For starters, why don't you demonstrate to me some humility. Your words are as hollow as your eyes."_

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Zuko stared up at her, disbelief, revulsion, and arousal plainly written across his marred features. He blinked, then frowned, looked at her boot, then looked back up at her from where he knelt on the ground.

"Katara... I..."

"You're what? Too proud?!" She demanded, and Zuko cringed, suddenly, the sleepiness fled from his mind and body.

"No." He slumped his shoulders, squaring them would come across as defiant.

"Then, what's the problem, Prince?" As if to accentuate it, she slid her foot forward across the stone.

"Nothing, Master Katara." He told her, resigning himself. Curiously, the second he decided to cooperate, a large burden on his shoulders seemed to ease. It was liberating to no longer be so achingly responsible for situations for once, it was nice to let go and stop worrying, at least, worrying about power. Unfortunately, she was opening up a whole new world of worrying for him, one that sent butterflies fluttering around his stomach and spiders crawling across his skin. He took a deep, unfettered breath, then bent down prostrate in front of the dark skinned virago.

The leather of her shoe smelled old and dusty, and it was thoroughly worn out from all the daily activities she performed. Since she wasn't barking orders at him, he eased into it slowly, brushing his fingers across the metal shin guards and then down the sides of her leg to cup her ankle gently. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips over the leather of the toe, then parted them to sweep his tongue probingly across the material. It didn't taste as pleasant as the skin of Katara's neck, or pleasant at all really, but, it wasn't completely unbearable. The next lap, he pressed his tongue flat to her toe, hoping that the more ground he covered the more quickly it would be over.

Katara had to consciously focus on not losing her balance, and not just because of the awkward stance. The heady power rush she felt and the sheer arousal inspired by the situation was making her almost dizzy, like she was in a trance. If she had been thinking more objectively, she would have manually churned up feelings of resentment towards him; that he was making her feel so intoxicated; so terrified. The terrible dance they were performing was nerve wracking, the amount of confidence in herself that she found she needed to play it was staggering. How could it be that she had taken so much from him, and yet, still felt like he was the one in control of their brushes with one another?!

He was almost finished with the toe of her boot, the leather was shiny with his saliva, a few small trails of it suspended between his mouth and her. She suddenly had the distinct feeling that the leather boot was having all the fun, and she was missing out on a very good time.

As she watched, his eyes flicked up, and, he flushed and bent over her more completely, so she couldn't see his face. How he had not known he was being watched was beyond her, maybe he simply hadn't thought of it.

"Would you like me to remove your guards?"

"What?"

"Your shin guards, should I take them off?" Zuko muttered into her toes. She could feel the pressure of his mouth depressing the leather onto them. She curled them inside their casement. The exposed expanse of the boot was glistening, and he was prompting her for more instructions. She had been lax.

"No." She shifted, stepping back and pressing her other foot forward. There was a good deal more breath in her voice than she was used to, and the pitch was all wrong. "Now this..."

For a second, she thought he was going to protest, he looked up at her unreadably for a half an instant, his gold eyes bright. Katara tensed. What would she do if he refused? Would she hit him again? It wasn't evident in the fiery gaze he pinned her with if he would take it. If she pushed too hard, he'd rebel, but, if she pushed too little... She relaxed when he looked down, glancing away before pressing his weight onto his palms and lowering his head to her again.

Baby steps.

The Fire Prince cringed as his senses were assaulted a second time, though, his mouth was used to the flavor by then. Inside his head, his brain must have been accommodating the taste by tuning off the taste sensors on his tongue.

In truth, he could have imagined himself in such a situation with his sister, a girl who was his superior in all avenues and enjoyed his humiliation, but, never the adaptable waterbender. He would have never believed it if someone had told him after he had stormed her village that in six short months he would be degrading himself for her pleasure, he would have had them thrown in the brig with a case of sea madness.

Katara wondered to herself why she had never actually noticed Zuko's tongue before, and, reciprocally, why she was noticing it so much now. Every time she saw the pink muscle dart out of his mouth to flick across the dark material, she felt the breath catch in her throat. Her labored breathing degenerated from hiccups to gasps, then gasps to audible pants for air. When he had finished his work, and the boots were once again a matched set, Zuko once again glanced up at her, then, without asking directions, he began lapping the leather in between the black straps of the armor. First, he traveled up the outside of her leg, starting at her ankle, then meandering slowly up to the upper rim of the greave, nearly at her knee.

The Master Waterbender was quite sure he was going through the motions at that point, not actually touching his tongue to her clothing, but was too engrossed to scold. She was sure if she opened her mouth, another argument would well up. The contact was too exciting to ruin. She was starting to think that their lines of communication were more physical than verbal anyway. 'I'm watching you' was said by a short catching of the gaze that narrowed as it held, 'Thank you' was a soft touch on the shoulder in passing, 'you amuse me' or 'I'm thinking about you' was a tiny twitch of the eyebrow. Unfortunately, she realized, for the game they were playing, quick communication that was impossible to misinterpret was fast becoming important.

Another audible gasp was heard as the Fire Prince switched from her outer leg to her inner leg, and he felt the Waterbender subconsciously step her free foot a few inches wider, giving him more room to maneuver. All too soon, the older boy's mouth met the upper rim of her boot, and she heard him nonchalantly rattle his chains, pretending he was simply shifting his weight. He was looking away and down, either too humiliated or too far into subspace to meet her gaze.

Stepping deliberately forward, she dropped to her knees, pinning the chain that held his hands to the stone floor with her shins.

"What about you?" Katara asked softly, pleased into tameness by his obedience and emboldened by his selfless efforts to satisfy her demands, "Do you want to get intimate?"

"Trusting someone and being validated that your trust was respected can be one of the most intimate things in the world, don't you think?"

It wasn't very clear what he was trying to tell her, but Katara had the suspicion that it was an agreement. She watched him tilt to the side and spit, ridding his mouth of any dust or dirt it had accumulated. He hesitated, then did it again, wiping his mouth on his shoulder.

"... and vice versa, but..." He was referring to the petting, she knew, but, she was pretty sure he was also referring to the boot licking and the hot oil and the hand feeding, and the hundreds of other ways they had interacted over the past several days. "...you haven't answered my question. I'm not accepting anything other than a definitive 'yes' or 'no'."

He tried to lift his hands to touch her, but they reached the end of their slack, and he ended up palming her thighs. Katara stifled a shiver from the tickling sensations that seemed to vibrate out from his fingers like ripples on a pond. He grunted, softly and defeatedly, shrinking back down on himself.

She saw him rock back on his heels and look away. He fidgeted for several seconds, then looked back up, his face blushing more deeply than a minute earlier when she had demanded he polish her shoes. Somehow, being forced to voice his intentions was more intimate, more embarrassing even, then his demonstration of humility. Finally, he answered in a small, guilty voice.

"Yes."

Katara grasped his hair and wrenched the older boy's head back. Zuko felt the tendons in his neck stretch to accommodate the new position, and he swallowed difficultly, wondering what she would do next. Without a breath of hesitation, even though she knew where his mouth had been, Katara slammed her lips to his, her hands planted firmly on either side of his neck, cupping his chin so he couldn't wriggle away.

He wasn't sure why she thought he'd want to.

Once again, his hands strained to find her, tugging hard enough on the chain to nearly lift Katara off the ground. He felt her wince as the links of metal dug into her shins, and bit his lip hard to reprimand him. It was then Zuko's turn to wince. The kiss was more unbelievable than the encounter itself. Not the kiss itself, though that was pleasant enough, but, the whole situation surrounding the kiss. The long buildup of tension, the strange way they backed into intimacy, the hatred, the attraction, all violently unraveled around them in the handful of instants their mouths met.

It wasn't until she felt a small moan echo out across the cathedral of her throat that Katara acknowledged her feelings. The sheer magnitude of the desire she felt was staggering. To have been fighting against the current for so long, and then finally letting go, was a release almost as satisfying as the one she had felt earlier in the night. Grudgingly, she decided that the Fire Prince was a miserable, skulking, disgusting excuse for a human being, and spirits, did she ever want him between her thighs. The revulsion she felt did nothing to quell her desires, if anything, they fanned them. The waterbender thought that in future, she would have to do something about her fetish for bad boys; her fetish for punishing them for their behavior and teaching them lessons in manners that they would never forget.

Ever the intuitive combatant, Zuko slid his hands further away from him as he pressed forward into the kiss. Katara complied, leaning backwards, unfortunately, the more she leaned, the more weight she had to put onto Zuko's neck, where her fingers clamped, and the more weight she put on him, the more he leaned forward, trying to maintain their distance. Vaguely, she heard a scuff emanate from the vicinity of her ankles, and she felt a pair of hands grasp her waist firmly.

"Zuko... What...?" Katara trailed off as she felt the chain dig gently into her back as she pulled away from him. It dawned on her that she was now wrapped in his embrace, trapped in the circle of his arms and bindings.

The man sure knew how to use his situation to his advantage. He had grabbed the chain itself by then, and tugged. The enclosure of flesh and steel around her contracted, and the water bender was drawn closer. She raised both eyebrows, but then seemed to dismiss his boldness. Perhaps he would be punished for it later, or perhaps she was a woman first, and a warden second. Either way, the Prince was satiated.

Her thumb and forefinger found his lips and caressed them softly, it was one of the first gentle gestures she'd extended to him all night. Although Zuko was no gambler, he would have wagered that she was thinking about the night she fed him, about how his mouth felt on her fingertips. He kissed her fingertips, lipping them playfully, mirroring her tone. If he got fierce with her before she did with him, he had a gut feeling he would end up back on the wall without so much as a 'thank you, ma'am'. With a bit of pressure, her thumb parted his lips, and the Prince let his tongue dart out and swipe across the calloused skin there. Katara gasped, watching transfixed as the Prince began sucking on her fingers.

Pulling back his lips, he scraped his teeth along her skin, nipping playfully, the dawn making him feel giddy. Katara flattened herself to him and kissed him again, not bothering to pull her thumb from his lower lip. The familiar blankness of mind had almost settled in when a crystal clear thought resurfaced. The dawn was making him giddy.

It was dawn.

The thought had barely pulsed past his neurons when he heard Haru's voice float across the crisp morning air.

"Come on Appa, yip yip."

Zuko wrenched away from the waterbender, breaking the kiss. Quickly and pointlessly, he tried to detangle them.

"Zuko, what's the matter with you?!" Katara demanded, her grip on his mouth tightened. Another second though, and she too turned to stare at the curtained barred wall, hearing the familiar sound of Appa yawning plaintively. Even in battle, Zuko had never seen Katara move quite so quickly. She shoved him hard in the chest, enough to knock him backwards, only, the chain that bound his wrists still looped around her, and her push knocked them both sprawling, more tangled than they were before.

He heard her swear colorfully under her breath about sexual intercourse and monkey feathers, then she tried to crawl forward off of him, forgetting her pants were hiked down most of the way to her knees. She tripped on them, and twisted in mid air to avoid falling directly onto his head. The Fire Prince suddenly found himself becoming quite intimate with her hips, the askew bindings doing little to hide her figure or smother the smell. He heard her swallow a yelp as she landed hard on one of her elbows. Finally, scrambling on palms and toes, she crossed the room and threw Zuko's cloak over herself a split second before Haru stepped into the room.

Zuko pretended to be lounging nonchalantly, while Katara breathed deeply and feigned sleep. Looking from one to the other Haru crossed his arms. As he inhaled, he noticed an odd scent in the air, but it was dispersing quickly, and the Prince was waiting for him to speak, gold eyes glittering in the half light.

"Why aren't you tied to the wall?" He asked softly, cutting to the chase.

"Katara let me down, she said it wasn't good for my hands." Zuko replied, he too kept his voice down.

"She fell asleep?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll wake her." Haru whispered.

"No!" Zuko quickly scrambled up, shaking his head energetically.

Haru paused and looked back at the Prince questioningly.

"She was up most of the night glaring at me, let her sleep a little longer, I'm sure she'll be up in an hour or two, come back and get her then." He knew there would be no way to explain to the earth bender the girl's state of undress.

Luckily, the easy going earth bender was not suspicious, and, agreed without any persuasion. Zuko started to suspect the older man was more concerned about Katara's health than he let on, and the Prince wondered how she was behaving when she wasn't around him. Probably just as manically.

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Hmm?"

"Morning wood." Haru let him out onto the small, unrailed ledge of the birdcage prison. Appa hovered nearby, staring straight ahead blankly.

"Yes," Zuko agreed again, then, realizing he should make at least a small effort to socialize, continued, "How did you sleep?"

"Ugh, same as usual," Haru commented, climbing up onto Appa's head, "Blankets on top of stone, no pillow, the usual. I think Sokka wants to go shopping, we need some supplies."

"There are several villages to the south and east of the jungle along the coast and the base of the neighboring mountain." Zuko supplied helpfully, "There are only a couple big enough to have a market, though, this far from the factories, everything will be very expensive, and probably poor quality. Rich merchants just don't come this far north anymore."

...

...

...

Katara counted to thirty after they left, then threw the cloak off of her, gasping, for she hadn't noticed she was holding her breath. When the frantic rhythm of her galloping heart dwindled, she set about fixing her clothes and combing her hair back down. Haru had surprised her; _morning_ had surprised her.

Zuko had surprised her.

Leaning her head back so it rested on the stone wall, she took several cleansing breaths and centered herself. Zuko had been pretty good, thinking on his feet like that... he was good thinking off his feet too... and she felt a few pangs of gratitude. He had covered for her, something he didn't have to do. He could have let Haru wake her and let her figure it out herself.

He didn't.

He had watched her back instead.

Of course, that was just a social situation, it would be an entirely different story when they fought side by side in battle. _IF_ she corrected herself, _if_ they fought side by side in battle.

It didn't take an hour to break down her campout and gather supplies, and, by the time Haru showed up again, she was cold and grumpy and more than ready for breakfast and a bathroom break. She also wanted to wash up, she could tell by the way the older boy was looking at her suspiciously that he knew something was up. Yugoda had once told her that the more a person had sex, the more people wanted to have sex with them, and that it was something to do with the way they smelled. Some sort of chemical attractant got produced, but, it also had to do with the person's attitude, posture, and self confidence.

That fact worried her.

"I didn't think you'd fall asleep on the job." Haru told her, "But, I don't blame you. It's difficult to stay up all night."

Katara nodded.

"Why did you unchain him?"

"Oh..." Katara grasped at straws, "I decided it was pointless, he was exhausted from not sleeping, I was exhausted from making sure he didn't hurt himself... what was he going to do? It's a dangling room thousands of feet in the air. Zuko isn't an Airbender, he can't fly."

"He could have taken you hostage... or worse." Haru shrugged, "Never mind. You know his abilities better than anyone," Something about his tone, Katara didn't like. It was passive aggressive.

"What do you mean?" She called him out on it.

"Well, you've fought him the most, and, you spend the most time with him."

Katara harrumphed, crossing her arms, but didn't dispute it. It was true.

...

...

...

Breakfast was bubbling in a large pot when she slunk into the common area. Teo and The Duke had probably made it, since, it was for some inexplicable reason, green, and everyone had left it and their dirty dishes after they had finished eating. Katara rolled her eyes, annoyed at, once again, being stuck with dish washing. She glanced at the mess of dishware, counting them. Finding a clean bowl and rinsing the dust from it with a quick water snake, she ladled a large portion of jook into it, then, she dug up another and filled it for herself.

There were six of them. His fiery highness probably hadn't eaten yet, and, his session with Aang was most likely almost over. Katara snorted, it wasn't like she was being nice, she just didn't want to do all the dishes. Jook hardened into something like cement as it dried.

To her surprise, everyone was chilling nearby her Firebender and the Avatar as they cooled down. The fallen pillars provided a perfect place for them to all sit and face each other. From a distance, it looked like Sokka was outlining something, he was waving his hands in circles like he always did when excited. He saw her first, and waved her over.

"Katara!! Come here!!"

At the sound of her name reverberating through the balcony, Zuko glanced up, from where he sat, grasping the foot of a straightened leg while the other bent inwards. He turned to say something to Aang, and they both released their stretch and stood up, rejoining the group. Katara tried to tell herself that it was coincidence, or, the fact that she was carrying his breakfast. Somehow, the excuses failed to fill the gap of her doubts.

Aang and Zuko both took spots on the crumbling architecture, and Katara handed the Fire Prince the hot bowl of jook before taking a spot among friends, conspicuously as far from him as she could get without seeming petty.

"Thanks." He replied across the void of space between them, raising the rim to his lips and sipping.

"Good, you're here, Katara! We were going to come look for you." Sokka turned to face her, "Basically, we were discussing our situation. We need more supplies. More blankets, more food, more everything. Our rations won't last the week."

"Unless all of you want to eat fish and ash bananas for the next several weeks." Toph added, obviously not as concerned as Sokka.

"So? What's the problem?" The Duke asked, "If we don't have any money, I can steal us some supplies."

"It's not that," Sokka shook his head, "We still have plenty of gold, even if we didn't have traveling money left over, Zuko brought more money than we could ever spend. In fact, he should have brought some smaller coins, such valuable gold pieces will be suspicious."

"Next time I commit high treason, I'll bring smaller coins, is silver alright, or do you want copper?" Zuko replied darkly, rattling his chains.

"So, basically, we are trying to figure out a way we can all split up and do some shopping at the villages on the other side of the jungle." Haru announced, before anyone could scold the Firebender about his sass.

"Right! A bunch of bedraggled kids nobody has ever seen coming into the market and buying a bunch of camping supplies will be suspicious," Sokka continued, "Especially if they pay with mint gold coins, so, I propose-"

"You propose? How sweet!!" Toph interrupted.

"I _propose_," Sokka pressed on, his face contorting in annoyance, "that we inventory our supplies today, make a shopping list, divvy it up, and hike down to the coast tomorrow, two or three of us each going to a different village."

"Do we need cover stories too?!" The Duke asked, his eyes as wide as saucers in excitement.

"No, we don't need cover stories." Sokka rubbed his temples.

"Who is going to stay here and feed Appa?" Aang asked.

"Well," Sokka rubbed the back of his head, "I think it would be best if _you_ do."

"What!? But-"

"People will know you on sight." Teo reasoned, "It's your arrows, they stand out. I'll stay with you... We'll practice gliding, and slide down the gutter drain!" Everyone knew that the only way that Teo was getting out of the Western Air Temple was by air. The jungle was too dense, the roads too muddy, and the climbs too steep for him to navigate in his chair. He could have asked to be carried by one person, while two others hauled his wheels, but, was too proud to consider it. Plus, how would they have handled the return trip, when they were all laden with supplies.

"Okay." Aang grudgingly agreed, pouting fiercely.

"I'll inventory our rations." Katara spoke, trying to get the ball rolling.

"I'll do blankets and tents." Haru spoke next.

"I'll take equipment if you'll let me." Zuko offered.

"Okay then, I'll help you, Katara, Duke-"

"THE Duke."

"The Duke, you help Haru, and Toph, you help Zuko." Sokka took charge, assigning them partners as he saw fit.

"Wait, No-" Haru started, but their leader elect cut him off.

"Katara and Toph still need to give Aang his lesson for the day, so, they can't be together." Sokka reasoned.

"Sorry, no offence, The Duke, but, I don't know how well you count and write." Haru explained, worried the younger boy would make more work for him than he would actually contribute.

"I know all the way to twenty." The boy told him sullenly, "...and, I can write my name."

"Fine."

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"Toph, do we have a sharpening stone?" Zuko asked, thumbing the bladed edge of Sokka's boomerang.

"Little busy, Sparky!!" Toph called, mid bout with Aang.

"I thought I remember Sokka using one,"

The Avatar dodged left, then called to the Prince, "Sokka has one!! OW!! Toph! Not so rough!"

"You snooze, you lose... your nose!"

Zuko pinched his own nose and sat down, wondering if Haru would be willing to trade 'young helpers'. He heard the squeak of wheels, and looked up to see Teo wheeling over.

"Here," He handed him a list, "Sokka needs new boots, the soles of his are breaking, I need more oil for my chair, Katara ran out of thread, we could use a new pot, I wrote out some other things too."

"Thanks." The Prince took the list, then joked, "I hope you included a pair of more comfortable restraints." The boy looked so depressed about not going.

"I did."

Zuko blinked and unfolded the scrap of paper, sure enough, near the bottom, 'proper cuffs' was neatly written.

"Just trying to be helpful." Teo added, settling in to watch the fight.

Zuko thanked him, and then stood, explaining that he was going to go give it to Sokka. He headed for the makeshift pantry, where they kept their stores as far from the mice as they could. Sokka however, was nowhere to be seen. Katara however, was diligently working... or, at least, had been before she fell asleep on the floor, head pillowed on her right arm, a mostly empty bag of rice cuddled up to her chest with the left.

"Katara?" he called softly, feeling awkward.

"Mmm." She must have been more sleepy than she let on, and he wondered how she expected to hike down the mountain at all if she couldn't pull an all nighter or two.

"Katara, where's your brother." He could lean down and shake her, but, he had no clue how they stood. Katara tended to treat him one way in private, then, a completely different way when they were in front of other people. She didn't respond at all, only pulled her clothing more tightly around her and snuggled deeper into her recline. Using his catlike stealth, Zuko slunk up and gently slid the paper under her fingers before he fled.

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...

She was staring at him.

Zuko squirmed uncomfortably, looking at his bowl of rice as though it was the most interesting thing in the whole world. To all outward appearances, Katara was scowling, but, he knew it was just a front, she was just keeping up appearances. In reality, he was quite sure she was undressing him with her eyes. It was nice to feel desired sexually, although Mai had always been on board for some fun, she never really initiated or showed her desires, that was one of the things he didn't like about her. The Waterbender, however was taking it and running in the complete opposite direction. She was almost giving him too much attention.

"You're real quiet there Sparky." Toph told him, "What's bothering you."

"Nothing."

"So, tomorrow morning, we'll head down to the shore, lets try to leave by eighth hour." Sokka was marking off items on slips of old parchment, "Who wants to team up."

"I got Sokka!! We claim the nearest village." Toph shouted and quickly grabbed the older boys arm.

The Duke looked back and forth from the shackled Fire Prince, the sleepy and grumpy Water Peasant, and the Earth Merchant's son. "I got Haru!!" He yelled, copying Toph and seizing the older boy's arm, making him spill his rice in his enthusiasm.

"Katara?" Zuko asked tentatively. If either of them were to make a fuss about this arrangement, it would be her.

"Whatever. Fine." She told him, finally looking away.

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Zuko lay on the stone floor, his eyes closed, his breath coming evenly. Katara had not moved from her spot. She had curled up, told him tomorrow would be a long day and... went to sleep! He couldn't believe it!! He had been waiting all day for her to jump him once they were alone, and all he was met with was cool, practical indifference. The problem was that if he made any motion to want her advances, she might withhold them just to torture him. It was better to wait patiently, and appreciate what he was given.

He didn't have to wait much longer to at least find himself the object of her attention, if not affection.

"You're not asleep."

"No." He looked over his shoulder, squinting into the darkness.

"I can't sleep." He heard her clothing rustle, "Some light?" Zuko's fingertips flared as he shifted, sitting cross legged, his back to the stone, and Katara scooted across the floor to sit close to him. She raised her hands and held them over the small flickering blaze, trying to absorb it's warmth. In the low orange light, she looked spooky and other worldly, the shadowed hollows of her face accentuated to the point of grotesqueness. Zuko wondered what his own scars looked like in the wobbling light.

"Well, we're in a dungeon. It's not the greatest place for sleeping." he agreed, if she wanted to talk about bodily functions, he was more than willing to oblige. It was just small talk though, he knew she was trying to segue. "Tomorrow, we can buy a night or two at the town's Inn. You can sleep in an actual futon."

"Are you going to try to escape tomorrow?" She seemed more curious than accusing, as though she knew he knew it was a bad and impossible idea, but was wondering if he would try it anyway. Her fingers were drooping, straying closer and closer to his lap.

"No, Katara, Aang hasn't mastered firebending yet, and, until he does, I'm not leaving."

She snorted, as though she didn't believe him.

"I know, we come from two different worlds, and we don't quite trust each other yet, but, I came here to fulfill my destiny, Katara, you have to believe me. I came here for the Avatar." Her fingers alighted on the chain, and she tugged it forward, slowly dragging his hands closer to her. Zuko let the flames in his hand flicker out, and, plunged them both back into the darkness.

"Don't let the light go out!" she scolded, and, he quickly inhaled and resparked it on the exhale.

"It's not the best idea if you're going to be pulling my hands around." He reasoned, speaking out of concern, not insolence, "It's hard to see, and, well, your hair is really long."

Katara chewed on her lip and pondered this for a minute, then, without a word of explanation, dug in her boot and pulled out the shackle key. She reached up and grabbed his free hand, turning the metal so she could find the lock. With a few jiggles in the lock, the cuffs fell open, and for the first time in a long while, Zuko saw his wrist. He shook it, getting used to not having the weight and restraint on it that he had grown used to. He was so absorbed in his right hand, he barely noticed that Katara had slipped the key back into her boot. Instead of unhinging the other cuff, Katara stood up, dragging his left hand holding the flame up over his head.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Zuko asked, watching as his captor clipped the chain onto one of the hooks in the wall so he couldn't lower his hand. She had effectively made him into a living torch. On the up side, his right hand was totally free, a luxury he decided he would thoroughly make use of.

"Don't let the light go out." She told him, "That's a direct order." The Fire Prince saw the game she was playing with him. She probably planned to be as distracting as she could, and, once he lost focus or exhausted himself and lost the flame, he would be punished. The joke was on her, passion only fanned his inner fire.

"Of course, Master Waterbender." He shifted his weight back more fully on the stone wall and waited for her to make a move.

"Disobey any of my direct orders, and I will punish you."Scooting onto her knees, Katara leaned in and kissed him. If she had been lusting after him all day, as he had been for her, she hid it well. The kiss was gentle, her lips spending more time hovering just above his than they did touching. For the first time, Zuko threaded his fingers through her hair and applied a tiny bit of pressure to the back of her head, coaxing her forward into a deeper kiss.

Katara pulled back entirely, rocking back onto her heels, then, reached for his sash, pulling it open. With a few easy tugs, Zuko's top fell open, and Katara's fingers smoothed over the skin curiously. He felt her trace the grooves of his collarbone and between his pecks before her fingers dragged over his abdominals. When her fingers found the drawstring of his pants, however, Zuko caught his fingers in his own.

"Katara, what are you doing?"

"Why don't you worry more about your torch and less about me?"

"But..." His lips were suddenly crushed against one of her fingers, she had pressed it there to silence him. Then, she sat back entirely, lounging across one of his thighs.

"Alright then, if you don't want me to touch you, touch yourself."

"It's not that I don't _want_ you to-"

"Undo your pants." Her voice cut, she was losing patience.

Zuko nodded sinking further into the wall, hoping it would swallow him. Unfortunately, he was the prisoner, and, she was the warden, and if she wanted a show, he would have to put on a show for her. Usually he could get in and out in a few minutes, so to speak, but, he doubted Katara would be impressed by efficiency. He took a breath, then let it out, then began running his free hand over his chest. Gently, he flicked his thumb over each nipple, exaggerating his gasps.

He let his fingers slide lower, under the hem of his pants, and caressed along his shaft, enticing his body from half mast to full. Slowly, he adjusted his skin, then stroked his full length a few times, finally daring venture a glance at his captor. She was watching him, fascinated, her blue eyes glued to the undulating fabric that covered his crotch. His audience was engaged, and, the Prince decided it was time to draw the curtain on his show. Lifting his hips, he slid his pants several inches down, far enough to be out of harms way when he came.

She was a healer. She was well acquainted with male anatomy, and yet, looking at it while aroused was an entirely different ballpark. Katara bit down on her lip, her fingers tugging on the silk of his pants, trying to ground herself. She cried out in surprise when Zuko's hips bucked, tossing her an inch in the air.

Usually, pleasuring himself was a two handed job, but, Zuko did what he could, alternating between flicking his thumb over the tip and stroking down the main vein. His moans stopped being feigned as his rhythm picked up. He could feel the familiar sensations that meant his release was close-

"Stop." Katara's voice was accompanied by a hand closing over his.

Obediently, the Fire Prince stilled under her hand, wondering what she would do to him. Katara sat for a minute idly, looking at him, leaned up, kissed him on the corner of the mouth, then settled back. After another minute or two, she nodded.

"Continue."

"Continue?" He asked, "I'm almost-"

"Hurry up."

Sighing resigned to his fate, Zuko began again, this time forgoing showmanship. He didn't want to be tortured all night, or go the whole night without release. He concentrated on his shaft, using long, even strokes that slowly sped up as his rhythm intensified. Zuko gasped, throwing his head back, sparks flying from the fire in his palm. He thrust his hips up, bucking with-

"Stop."

Whining, Zuko sunk towards the floor. He had a feeling that her bending was loaning her a hand with the timing. Nobody could read his face so easily. Since he had been ordered to let go of his cock, he let his fingers slide up his stomach. Instead of giving him another order, Katara reached out and touched him. Her fingers were unnecessarily gentle, and he easily recognized her inexperience. She wasn't aware of just how hard of a beating he could take, or, oppositely, how hard of a pounding she could. After a few achingly soft experimental brushes, she let go and drew back.

"Okay, continue."

Zuko seized himself again, aroused again from watching her touch him. Her soft red skin contrasting on his, the slim feminine fingers, the look of concentration and curiosity, they all fanned his inner fire. He was passionate by nature, he wanted to lean forward and kiss her, wanted to fall to the floor and make love. The thought alone made him whimper, and, he let his mind pull up images, smells, textures. He remembered the previous night, how he had touched her, how she had quivered against him. She would quiver just like that beneath him too, someday.

"Zuko, I said stop!"

How had he missed the first command? Her hand grabbed his wrist, but, it was too late.

"Mmm... Katara..._Katara_.." His body had already set the wheels in motion, and Zuko held tight as his muscles spasmed. A warm pool began to spread on his abs, and he felt Katara let go of his wrist, letting her hand fall to his thigh instead. After a few breaths, Zuko swallowed hard, his mouth had gone dry from all the vocalizing.

"I ordered you to stop." Katara informed him, pinching his thigh through the fabric.

"I did... it was... too late..."

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**I've currently been poking around Hou Tian out of boredom, but haven't bothered to join because I find most RP forums are full of suck, though I haven't RPd since High School, (Plus, I RP like I write, which I think annoys people after a while.) Anyway, anyone have anything outstanding to say about the place? Good or bad?**

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**Once again, thank you all for reading, I hope you all enjoyed the next installment. The chapters take a while because CA is sort of a 'back burner' project with the Midsummer Madness and Net to Catch the Wind fanfiction taking priority. **

**Anyways, here is another D/s chapter for you, the next chapter of Net to Catch the Wind is about halfway done, so that shouldn't be too long in coming either.**

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**This chapter is unbetaed, please forgive my horrible spelling. I before E except after C? Screw that.**

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**Okay, so, leave me love.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Best Policy

**Title:** Captive Audience

**Author:** Burning_Ice

**Rating**: M

**Summary:** After taking the scarred Prince up on his offer to be their captive in the Western Air Temple, Katara finds she has been assigned the most unpleasant job imaginable.

Prison Guard.

**Pairing: **Zutara.

**Beta: **

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**Disclaimer: **Fan work only, I don't own the Avatar the Last Airbender series. If I did, you can bet it would have been Zutara, gone for more than three seasons, and only been appropriate for Adult Swim . . . or HBO.

Maybe Bryke should have worked the sexy angle, I hear they had more adult fans than children.

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**Chapter 9: The Best Policy **

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The night was still and crisp enough to make the Prince's hairs stand on end. He waited calmly for the waterbender to dish out any punishment that she so desired. She seemed to be thinking, which was both comforting and humiliating. Obviously, she didn't quite know what to do, or how to deal out the punishment that she had threatened. It was humiliating though, to have the clothed tribeswoman seated astride his leg, staring down at him. It wasn't just that his clothing was askew and his hair was mussed. He knew his cheeks were flushed red, and his stomach dripping with rapidly cooling fluids.

"I-" he started, only to be cut off.

"Don't apologize." Katara snapped, "I don't want an apology. Why would I want an apology?"

"What do you want?"

Katara didn't answer, mostly because she didn't know. Instead of speaking, she pressed the heel of her hand into her forehead and rubbed. She had not really thought of a plan beyond this point, and, after watching the Prince climax and call out her name over and over, her creativity had dispersed almost as quickly as her anger.

The oddest part though was the morass of emotions swirling within her. Somehow, she was under the impression that sex and intimacy was easy; that you felt nothing other than love and happiness. Instead, she was practically overwhelmed with a whole spectrum of emotions. Pleasure was there, yes, but so was disappointment, confusion, embarrassment, distaste, and arousal. Instinct had abandoned her in the flickering light, and she felt more exposed than the Prince beneath her.

While she was distracted, Zuko used his first two fingers to scoop the congealing moistness from his abs and flick it onto the stone floor. He didn't want it to stain his clothes and leave visible evidence of their nights activities together. Haru and Toph, as far as he could tell were both suspicious, and, he wouldn't be surprised if one or both of them confronted him before he left to go shopping with Katara. Curiously, the waterbender passed her palm over his abdomen, bending the offending fluids from him and then flicking them away. Fatigue was settling into the Prince's limbs, and, since Katara was not issuing any orders, or hearing any words of contrition, he let his head rock back onto the stone. The flames blossoming from his suspended left hand shrunk to mere sparks.

He jumped when he felt the girl in his lap reached out and touched him, her fingers tracing down the softening shaft. Hurriedly, he grabbed the waistband of his pants and returned it to it's proper position.

"Katara, I need time to recover." He told her truthfully, "Men don't just bounce back."

"How long?" Katara asked. This was not something mentioned in the romantic scrolls she had read. The men there seemed insatiable.

"Fifteen or twenty minutes."

That sounded like an inconveniently long time to Katara, but, she didn't want to display her ignorance any more extensively than she already had. For hating Zuko's guts, she observed, she sure cared a lot about what he thought of her. Maybe that was a paradox, could you hate someone and constantly seek their approval? Silently, she unlatched the shackle from the wall and let him shake out his wrist. To do so, he let the light in his palm wither and die. Her pupils had adjusted to the light, and, when it faded, darkness enveloped them both completely.

Zuko felt Katara stiffen in his lap, and, he knew exactly why. Preoccupation with his body had led her to make a mistake, and, if he had been planning to harm her, he knew now was the opportune moment. He was unbound and armed, while her waterskins lay on the other side of the cell. Fumblingly, he reached out and found her hips, cupping them on either side. It was partly a reassuring caress, and partly to let her know exactly where his hands were, and what they were doing.

"Z-Zuko! Put it back."

"My fingers are cramped." He lied, knowing that she would resent the insolence but risking it anyway. "Relax." He felt her sway back and forth, shifting on him indecisively before her taught muscles released. Zuko couldn't help but smile in silent victory. He knew how to pick his battles, and he was going to win this particular battle of wills. There was a difference between being the winner and being the one in charge, he would never try to dominate her, but he wasn't going to settle either. It wasn't so much about getting into her pants as getting into her bed. It would be the difference between purchasing one room or two at the inn the following night. The Fire Prince was hoping deeply that she would want him to buy only one, for reasons that had nothing to do with frugality.

"Your bedroll is over here." He drew her up, then pressed a palm into her back while the other still clasped her hip. The manacle and chain hung loosely from his wrist, swaying back and forth and bumping both her and his thighs with each step.

"I know where it is!" Katara's voice issued from the darkness, "Funny, I don't remember saying I wanted to go to bed yet." To her dismay, Zuko let her go, his warm hands vanishing from her, even his breath melted into the blackness. She decided that he was far too good at being stealthy, and she would forbid him from any other ninja-like behavior in the future. Although she was annoyed, Katara realized with a start, she wasn't scared. There was no doubt in her mind that Zuko was benign. Awkwardly, she reached out her hands, encountering nothing in the space his body had occupied moments earlier.

"Zuko?" She asked the darkness around her, annoyed.

No answer. She couldn't even hear him breathing.

"Zuko!!" With the sound of her own joints cracking and clothes rustling painfully loud in the darkness, Katara bent to the floor, feeling along the stones for her bedroll. "I swear Zuko, when I find my spark rocks..." Instead of her spark rocks, her hands bumped his knees, though the waterbender had a feeling that the only reason she found him was because he wanted her to. She reoriented herself, groping along him until she found his hands, which she clasped in her own.

"I'm right here." He told her belatedly, and she could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Make. A. Torch." She didn't like this game. In her haste to locate him, she had lost her bearings in the darkened space, and now could not tell which way her bedroll was. Was she facing the far wall or the curtain?

"In a minute." Ignoring her request, Zuko's hands slipped from her's, and wrapped around her upper arms firmly.

"I want to find my bedroll."

He tried to turn her, though she resisted at first, until her foot scraped across fabric. "It's right in front of you." His disembodied voice welled up over her shoulder, and he touched the small of her back, encouraging her forward. Katara wanted to slap the smug smile right off his face. She didn't need to see it to know it was there. For a minute, silence hung, then she heard him step around her, and the faint scuffle of fabric on stone as he sat down. When she bent to her blankets, she found that he was stretched out next to them.

"Did I say you could lay down?" Katara asked, pulling her blanket around her shoulders. Her bare arms had become speckled with goose flesh that had nothing to do with temperature.

"Shall I move?"

Katara decided not to answer. Instead she pulled her blanket up over her head with a grunt and turned her back to him. It was ridiculous to argue after she herself initiated intimacy. It was ridiculous to argue because deep down, she wanted to sleep next to him. He was soft and warm, and his skin pressed against hers was erotic when she wanted intimacy, and comforting when she didn't. It was a behavior that strengthened the bonds between them as warriors and team mates . . . and family. She listened to his breaths become deep and steady, though nothing like the snores that always bubbled up from her brother's throat. Katara had a feeling that Sokka's noisy sleeping habits had been the main reason that Toph fashioned herself a stone tent while they were on the road. If she hadn't been so accustomed to the noise, she would have asked for one too.

When she was pretty sure he was asleep, and, enough time had lapsed for her to rally her courage, Katara turned over. First, she casually rolled onto her back, pretending to switch positions in her sleep, and stared up at the blackness that was the ceiling. If he was awake, Zuko didn't stir. There was no scraping sounds of movement, no grunting, no hesitation in his breathing, nothing. Squinting in the absolute blackness, Katara made out the vague form of him laying on his back, his head softly pillowed on one of his arms. Another innocent shifting of position, and Katara maneuvered herself up to him, letting her body curl into the edges of his.

Something jabbed painfully into her ribs, and Katara bit back a yelp. Annoyance rose in her, and she pulled the unlocked manacle from between them and raised a knee, groping for the key inside her boot. With a soft click, she unlatched them and dropped them on the stone floor.

At the sound, the Fire Prince stirred, stretched, then drooped again, falling back into the embrace of deep sleep. Once again, Katara curled up to him, and this time, nothing disturbed her as she flattened herself against him, pulling her blanket over him as well.

...

...

...

The unfamiliar weight on his chest was the first thing that Zuko registered when he drifted into wakefulness, answering the sun's call to rise. When he opened his eyes, he was pleased to see the waterbender sprawled asleep with him, her right arm draped across his chest, her right leg across his. She had puller the blanket completely over her head, perhaps in response to the yellowing light of dawn, and, her brown hair cascading from the cloth made seeing her face impossible.

Gently, the Fire Prince detangled himself from his bed mate. He would have enjoyed rolling over, burying his nose in her hair, and going back to sleep, but, if Haru found him in such a compromising position with her, he wasn't sure how the older boy would react. It would probably result in the Fire Prince taking a beating, Zuko had seen the looks the earthbender gave Katara when he thought that nobody was looking. Zuko recognized the signs of a crush.

Snapping the lose manacles back onto his wrists, he settled back against the far wall and cupped his head in his hands. Although it meant a good stretch of time alone with Katara, he was not particularly looking forward to the hike down the mountainside and to the bay. Neither he nor Katara had gotten much sleep the past few nights, and, fatigue was starting to wear on him. Their present routine was not working, and, he knew they would have to come up with something more sustainable soon if they were going to make the arrangement permanent.

Although he didn't notice, he must have drifted off into a light doze, because, suddenly, Haru was crouched over him, shaking him awake. The Fire Prince inhaled sharply, and jumped in surprise, his body tensing.

"Easy there. Keep those fingers unignited."

"Come on, Appa is waiting." Katara was up as well, though she looked groggy. Tired circles were beginning to show under her eyes, and her skin had lost some of it's healthy glow.

...

...

...

"So everyone is set?" Sokka asked for the fifth time. They stood at the lip of the plateau, each duo heading in a different direction. Since the highlands were treacherous, it was a good days walk down to sea level, and probably would take longer coming back up.

"We're fine." Katara told him, adjusting her mostly empty satchel across her shoulder.

"Recite it again."

Katara groaned, but obeyed. "Five days. If we're not back in five days you'll assume that we've been captured and send help."

"If we think we're being followed, we're to stay in the town we have been assigned and wait for reinforcements and lose the trail." The Duke continued.

"At no point is anyone to bend, unless it's an emergency, and yes, this is mostly directed at you, Toph." Toph supplied the third rule. It was her least favorite.

"If we are captured, we are to tell them the Avatar is staying on Fireize Island." Haru finished, "That will buy us time while they search the volcanoes."

"Zuko?" Sokka prompted.

"If anything happens to Katara, you'll kill me."

"Right!" Sokka laughed, though, they both knew he would make good on his threat.

Katara stepped forward and hugged her brother, which seemed to trigger a small showing of affection between the three pairs of partners. Zuko stood off to the side, fiddling with the straps of his pack. Nobody invited him to join, and, he did not ask to. It was a fairly standard mission, he doubted that anyone would run into any trouble. Plus, they were so north west that it was doubtful that any soldiers would be roaming around. He felt a quick tug on the sleeve of his silk shirt, and then Katara brushed by him.

"Come on, Prince Zuko."

He turned to follow, glancing once back over his shoulder at the other four adventurers. Toph turned around and winked at him, then made a kissy face. Apparently, her grudge was suspended during moments prime for teasing. The corner of the Prince's mouth turned up. Just how much did Toph notice by being around them and hearing their heartbeats and breathing?

...

...

...

Zuko didn't like walking behind the waterbender as they both picked their way down the side of the plateau. It wasn't anything to do with status or power, but personal safety. Twice already, the loose rocks of the path had given under her feet, and, he had had to reach out and catch her before her feet skidded out from under her. The third time, he finally spoke up.

"Let me walk in front for a while." It was a strong suggestion. He was supposed to be protecting her. He _wanted_ to protect her. He couldn't do so if she insisted on putting herself into needless danger. He was the male, he should walk in front and test the footing.

"I'm fine." She snapped, "I know where I'm going."

"But the path is treacherous, and-" _I should be the one in harm's way._

"-and I don't think I can catch you as easily as you can me." Katara reasoned, "I'm lighter anyway." Her voice was cool and matter-of-fact, and she dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand.

"I promised your brother that I would get you back without a scratch." The Fire Prince persisted. He may be her prisoner, but he seemed to be the one blessed by Agni with more sense. He also felt that if her orders directly conflicted with what he felt was best for her, he should dismiss the direct command and do what needed to be done.

"I don't think he meant literally." Katara turned to face him and placed her hands on her hips. "Are you going to make it a habit of putting yourself between me and everything that you think might be dangerous?" Tilting her chin up, she stared directly into his gold eyes, challenging him.

"Yes." Zuko didn't blink. For three or four long seconds, they stood there, eye to eye, waiting for the other to back down. Katara did first.

"Fine, have it your way." She turned back around, and continued down the path, skidding on her feet down a nearly vertical slab of slate, then jumping over a crevice. They walked in silence for several minutes, concentrating only on the slippery stone in front of them. The Fire Prince was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost walked into the waterbender when she stopped suddenly.

"Do you think we should come up with cover stories?"

"Huh?"

Suddenly, the loose gravel Katara stepped on gave out, and she grabbed onto his right hand for support. Zuko winced as the tendons in his wrist and arm strained under the sudden resistance, but he braced himself and helped her haul herself to her feet again.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Katara coughed several times, they had stirred up a good amount of dust.

"So, why cover stories?" Zuko circled his fingers around his aching wrist and rotated it a few times, checking to make sure he had not done something serious to it. Nothing twinged over the dull muscle ache, so, he shook it out and pressed on.

"You know, for when we shop. I mean, I'm sure people will ask questions, we should have something to tell them." Katara explained, hopping over a fallen tree trunk, "Something consistent and believable."

"Oh." Zuko shrugged, in his undercover experience, nobody cared. "If you want."

"We could say we're from the colonies."

"What are we doing way out here?"

"I don't know, traveling to visit relatives?" Katara supplied, "We're going to visit our sick Aunt."

"You really think people are going to believe we have the same Aunt?" Zuko asked doubtfully, "We don't exactly exhibit much family resemblance, what with your blue eyes and dark skin."

"Okay then, what's our relationship?"

"Uuuh." Zuko had been asking himself that very question for the past few days. "I don't know."

"How about I'm from the colonies, and you're my guide."

"That's fine. No matter what you tell them, people are going to think what they want to think." They wouldn't care as long as the younger girl handed over enough coin. He had passed as a refugee for months, and almost nobody had gotten suspicious, even though he and his uncle looked purely Fire Nation right down to their eyes. Everyone had assumed that he was a half blood, probably a bastard who's mother had been raped by the Fire Lord's soldiers during the invasion. In his experience, it was easier just to let people guess and tell them they were right.

Then again, last time that had happened, he had ended up juggling plates for his date.

...

...

...

"Do you smell that?" Toph asked as she and Sokka made their way through the jungle. Like a mountain goat, Toph always knew where to step, so, a long and awkward descent had turned into a quick and easy hike down.

"It wasn't me."

"Hahaha!" Toph giggled for a few seconds before trying again, "No! Sokka, I mean, on the wind."

"What?"

"I smell rain."

"Oh, that's just great." The older boy grumbled as he hacked his machete through the vines, "It looked fine out this morning!"

"Relax Snoozles, we can always bend a tent if we need it, and by 'we', I mean me."

"Poor Katara." Sokka sighed, "I hope they don't get too wet."

"Pfft, waterbenders love being wet." Toph replied, "I think it's a lifestyle choice."

...

...

...

"I don't believe this!" Katara twisted her wrist above them, bending the fat drops away. Zuko ducked in closer to try to keep dry. Suddenly, the waterbender found it a lot more difficult to focus on her bending. She was almost hyper aware of how close he was, as though she was on a battlefield and he was an encroaching enemy. Luckily, Toph was nowhere near close enough for her feet to see the slamming of her heart in her ribcage.

"I can smell the smoke from the village," Zuko stated, then sighed, "We should probably be wet like everyone else when we arrive."

Katara didn't answer, only let her control over the flow of the water diminish. In less than thirty seconds, her clothes had suctioned themselves to her skin, turned two shades darker, and gained five pounds. Reluctantly, they stepped onto the muddy and deserted main street.

The inn was a squat, weather battered building perched on the edge of the main street. Whatever color it had originally been painted had long since been worn away by the sea winds. Even though it was slightly dilapidated, it had a warm and cozy feeling. Someone had taken great pains to hang and light lanterns on the porch, and the sounds of laughter and smells of rice and meat wafted out the open windows. Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko saw Katara glance at him, then her stomach grumbled loudly, and she grabbed his wrist and dragged him forward.

At the door, however, she stopped dead, unprepared for the scene in front of her. Zuko felt her fingers tighten on his wrist, and she shifted on the balls of her feet. Everyone seemed to pause to look at the soaked girl whose clothing clung to her and showed just how cold she was. Everyone seemed to like what they saw. Reassuringly, Zuko pressed a palm into her back, then took a step in front of her, blocking her from view. For once, Katara was grateful for his protection, and she used the cover to rearrange her hair so it fell modestly across her.

The fishermen had returned from a hard day of work casting and mending their nets, most of them still smelling of the fish guts they had immersed themselves in during the day. They were well into their third or fourth cup of sake, and a few had begun a lewd song about a prostitute and an octopus.

The inkeeper's wife, a jolly woman nearing her fifties was there to greet them, and both teenagers found themselves ushered to a table in the corner near the hearth. Before long, bowls of rice had been set before them along with sea vegetables and skewers of fish.

"Why are they treating us so well?" Katara asked in a low voice. Zuko put his hand to his ear, signaling that he couldn't hear. The waterbender leaned in close to him and repeated her question.

"Oh." Zuko mouthed, then cupped his hand to her ear, explaining, "I think it's because of my clothes."

"What?" Katara didn't bother to add sound. Her traveling companion would read her lips. Zuko leaned in again to answer, and the rough skin of his cheek scraped hers.

"They're made of expensive silks." He explained, his breath tickling across the back of her neck and shell of her ear, "I'm sure she thinks we're rich, or, at least, I am. Runaways or something."

Katara turned her attention back to her food. It wasn't far from the truth, at least in Zuko's case. Presently, the woman came back to check on them, refilling their drinks and inquiring about their business in the town.

"Look at the two of you! Covered in mud from head to toe, you are! Aren't you a bit young to be traveling alone?"

"Can you put us up for the next two nights?" Katara asked.

"Of course, it's one silver per room, per night." The woman replied, dusting her apron off, apparently more interested in their coin than their circumstances.

"One silver?" Zuko raised an eyebrow, "for this place? Ten copper a night."

Katara turned away and stared into the fire, letting the sounds of their haggling drift to a dull hum in the back of her head. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and the strain of the day long hike, and the full feeling in her stomach was making drowsiness trickle up the back of her throat and permeate her brain in delicate waves. She covered a yawn and sunk deeper onto her elbows on the table.

"Fine, but only if you throw in meals too."

Katara opened her pack and pulled out their purse, heavy with coin. She was careful to lift it out from the bottom, so anyone watching could not easily tell how much they had on them.

"Done, will that be one room or two?" The woman asked. Behind her, one of her customers called for more alcohol.

Zuko turned to look at her.

"Two." Katara answered, "how much was it again?" She had daydreamed through the negotiations, and wasn't sure on the final price. Behind her, the call for alcohol had turned into a chant, complete with boots slamming the floor and fists slamming the table.

"Oh hold your ostrich horses!! You're all going to be too sloshed to please your ladies when you get home!!" The inkeeper's wife yelled over her shoulder at the drunks, "I'm sorry dearies, I'll be right back."

"It was twenty copper per room, per night." Zuko informed her, "So, three silver, five copper."

"I can do math!" Katara growled, insulted that he thought she needed help tallying prices in her head. She could do her figures just fine! She reached into their purse and handed him the appropriate amount. "Just go pay."

Zuko had taken two steps, when suddenly, a leg, capped by a muddy boot swung from the floor to rest on the bench across the aisle, barring his way. He followed the lines of leather and cloth up past a sword belt, a bare midriff, and hand painted shoulder guards. It was an older woman, her hair graying at her temples, a patch covering up her right eye.

"Excuse me." He told her in a way that clearly meant 'excuse you'.

"Hey, gold eyes. If you don't feel like bunking alone, you can always stay in _my_ room, tonight." She turned and grinned at Zuko, "You're a little young, but, not so young I'd pass you up."

It took the Fire Prince a moment to realize that he was being propositioned, and his good cheek colored. He took a step backwards and scuffed the wood floor with his boot. "I don't think so."

"Why not? Your girl don't seem to be taking advantage." She raised her cup to her lips and drained it, then raised her second leg to cross it over the first. Slowly. "She doesn't look like much fun anyway."

Katara's jaw dropped. The woman had a lot of nerve trying to take her man right out from under her... so to speak. Obviously, with all their sexy-whispering, they were in some sort of relationship. The woman had said so herself!!

"No, no. She is plenty of fun, thank you very much." Zuko knew it wasn't much of a defense, but, he didn't like being put on the spot. He heard Katara stand up behind him, and inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. She had decided to pity and rescue him.

"Don't you want a real woman? One whose hit puberty?"

"Hey, back off." Katara placed a palm onto the table and leaned over her rival, "He said no. He means no." To her annoyance, the woman ignored her. Zuko, however, did not. He was staring at her, his face utterly perplexed, as though he had thought up until then that she couldn't care less what he did with his free time. Apparently this was not the case, whatever their _thing_ was, it was exclusive. Apparently, she liked him enough to be crazy scary and territorial at the thought of another woman pushing him around. Apparently he was only allowed to be taken advantage of by her.

"Katara?" he started, but his lady suitor interjected with instructions.

"It's the fifth room in the west wing, gold eyes, right by the stairs. I'll leave the door unlocked." She slid her legs down out of Zuko's way, then stood up. She was unnervingly tall for a woman, taller than Mai. She towered over Katara, but the younger waterbender did not look intimidated. "Knock twice."

"He's not knocking any number of times, so you can back off." Katara informed her. The hard edge to her voice was telling. She had lost her temper, and Zuko knew full well the wrath she could bring down upon an enemy.

"He can do as he pleases, he's not sharing _your_ bed."

"That doesn't mean he wants to hop into yours!" How dare this woman! Zuko was _her_ prisoner! Her property! Her toy!

"If you really believed that, little girl, you wouldn't be getting so mad. I think, you're scared he doesn't _actually_ like you."

It was true, of course it was true. Katara knew she was losing the argument because she was losing her temper, and although she meant well, she would only make a fool of herself if she didn't reign it in. Secure in her decision to calm down, Katara took a deep breath and let it out slowly. As she finished her first exhale and started her next inhale, she watched demurely as Zuko's admirer grinned and stepped closer to him. Exhaling again she watched as the woman's fingers squeezed his butt in a way that suggested something far lewder.

Katara didn't remember her next inhale. What she did remember was Zuko's arms wrapped around her waist, as he dragged her backwards off the other woman so forcefully that her feet left the ground as she struggled. She remembered yelling that nobody touched her firebender without her permission, and that she wasn't giving out permission. She remembered swiveling in Zuko's arms, catching his cheeks with her palms and kissing him possessively and roughly to illustrate her point. She remembered pressing her tongue forcefully into his mouth, biting his lower lip hard, and tugging on his hair. She remembered him whimper in pain and surprise. She remembered grabbing his hand and pulling him across the floor.

Anger and jealousy were threading through her coiling like white hot wires in her chest. They burned her, though she would never admit it. Somehow, in the air temple, she had become comfortable with their roles. He was her possession, her loyal consort. Out in the country, however, he no longer had to bend to her will. If he saw a girl he liked, he could choose to spend the night in her bedroom.

They found the innkeeper at the bar and Zuko paid, accepting the keys from the older man graciously, and giving him a tip. Beside him, Katara stood, glowering at the floor, her hand holding on to the older boy's yellow sash.

Besides the jealousy, there was a small amount of shock. She knew Zuko was very attractive. She wasn't blind. Just looking at him for a second was enough proof to sell that point. She had never, however, seen that power at work on someone else. Since he had come to stay with them, she was the only one really in a position to be swayed by his looks. Besides Toph she was the only girl, and the earthbender didn't really _look_ at boys.

They sat by the fire, waiting patently to dry off. Zuko stared into the flames without saying a word. Katara kept glancing around, and, to her dismay, kept catching the eyes of the locals. Finally, Katara reached out and placed a hand on Zuko's thigh, a motion that startled him out of his trance.

"I'm tired."

Zuko glanced around at the drunken men, then at Katara's hips, no water skins attached. "I'll walk you."

...

...

...

Katara pressed her pillow more forcefully into her ear, trying to block out the noise of the couple in the room beside her's. It was ridiculous, the sheer amount of time that they had been going at it. She could hear the banging on the wall clearly, and even her bed seemed to be swaying from the activity. It was unfair. The first night in weeks she could sleep in an actual bed, and it was being spoiled by her neighbors insatiable appetites. She had nothing against them enjoying each other, she just wished they would do it more quietly.

Finally, with a groan, she sat up. She wanted to bang on the wall and yell at them to finish already, but, it seemed so rude. If she was caught in the moment, not only would she be mortified if someone did that, but she would probably lose her climax. It was uncomfortable, but had a sort of normalcy to it. People had sex. Katara wondered if she sounded like that when she moaned, she hoped not.

The thumping was getting more erratic, there would be a lull in the sound for a minute, then it would pick up again. Just when she got her hopes up, she would be sorely disappointed. Zuko could probably be persuaded to switch rooms with her, or she could simply barge in on him and demand that he let her stay for an hour or two. Enough time for her neighbors to fall asleep exhausted. Katara quickly pulled on her top and pants, forgoing her guards, skirts, and jewelry in the interest of saving time. She grabbed the room key off of the small table and slipped out, locking the door behind her before tiptoeing across the hallway to her team mate's room.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Katara raised her fist and rapped softly on the door. At first there was no answer, and she had to knock again before Zuko responded from the other side of the door.

"I told you to go away."

"What?"

"What?"

"Zuko! Let me in!"

"Who is this?"

"It's me." Katara was beginning to regret her bare feet and arms. Not only was the floor chilly against her soles, but, anyone passing by would most definitely get the wrong impression. It wasn't a midnight rendezvous, she assured herself, it was an intellectual meeting between two warriors to discuss their next move.

The lock clicked, and Zuko pulled the door back. Obviously, he too had been in bed, but it seemed like he hadn't been sleeping. He wore his loose red pants and a few bandages wrapped around his wrist, and in his hand he clutched a goblet of fire wine.

"Are you okay?" Katara pointed to his arm as she walked past. Zuko nodded, leaning out and looking both ways down the hallway before shutting the door behind her and locking it.

"I couldn't sleep." The fire was still warm, the embers hadn't totally died, so she knelt down in front of the small hearth and held out her hands to them.

"You look pretty tired." Zuko joined her, stifling a yawn. Katara couldn't help but yawn too, they were contagious and all. He offered her his cup, but she shook her head. He shrugged and took another sip.

"I didn't say I couldn't sleep because I wasn't tired." Katara chewed on her lip for a second, then decided to come clean. "The people next to me are having sex, well, either that or they're rearranging furniture and agreeing with each other a lot."

"Do you want to crash here?" He offered as innocently as he could, "It's quiet."

Instead of answering his question, Katara asked one of her own. "What did you mean, 'I told you to go away'?" The Prince turned to look at her, his face unreadable.

It was odd, to hear the insecurity in her voice, and, suddenly, in the pit of his stomach, Zuko had the feeling that things were about to complicate themselves exponentially. He wasn't toying with her, he really wasn't, he liked her and wanted to be more than just a prisoner or a plaything. She just didn't want to admit she liked him back. Oh, she was attracted to him, he had had a feeling that she was since their meeting in Ba Sing Se. He was attracted to her as well, he had known that since their fight in the North Pole, for weeks he could think of nothing else while he pleasured himself. The tightrope was stretched out in front of him.

He raised his cup to his mouth and spoke into it. "Women, you know how they are." She chewed on her lip, the answer obviously not filling the void of doubt inside her, but, her pride keeping her from asking more. "I'm still your prisoner, even without the shackles." He reminded her. "You're in charge."

"You're not my prisoner." Katara cast him a sideways glance through her half lidded eyes and gave him a partially genuine smile. Somehow, she didn't feel like pretending that moment. "We use it because we can't think of a better word. Prisoners don't protect their wardens or warm their beds. They don't give them unsolicited advice and help them out of trouble."

"Then, maybe I'm your concubine."

"How much of a sick, twisted thrill do you get from this?" she asked, her words cutting but not entirely without amusement. It was probably the fire wine talking. Zuko didn't usually make jokes.

"Probably about the same amount as you." Zuko answered cheekily as he leaned back on his palms, his knees bent casually. "That kiss you gave me earlier..." He trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence.

Katara snorted dryly and then scooted in a few inches. "I'm not petty!" Not usually at least. Somehow though, the need to make a statement had overridden her need to be sensible.

"No, I meant that, I liked it. A lot."

"Why?"

There was a long pause.

"Zuko, are you planning on answering?"

"It's personal."

"And sex isn't?"

"Yes." He turned to look at her, and she was struck by the vulnerability in his gaze. He took another long swallow of wine. Stumbling, he tried to explain, and Katara found herself touched by the gesture. Obviously for him, letting her in emotionally was on par with her trusting him to touch her intimately. "When you have lived like I have, had the family that I have had... it's hard. I don't like to talk about it." He looked at the fire, trying to organize his thoughts into something short and understandable. "I like to feel _wanted_. I don't feel wanted very often."

It tugged at her heartstrings, and guilt welled up inside her. He wanted to be loved; passionately, aggressively, painfully loved, and if not loved, than at least appreciated and needed. He wanted it proven to him again and again that he wasn't worthless. He wanted to be so possessed that he became, in some ways, a possession himself. He was looking for in a lover what he never got from a family. Katara felt her heart go out to him, and the ice barrier she usually kept between him and her heart melted a little. Reaching out, she placed a hand over his. When she had taken a leap of faith and trusted him, he had pulled through for her, and now, she felt like it was her turn to do the same. Opening up to her was his own private leap of faith.

Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his bare shoulder. Each kiss hopped a few inches higher until her mouth was pressed into the juncture where his neck met his jaw.

"Keep talking." She mumbled against the smoothness of his skin.

"I..." Zuko let the younger girl recline him backwards onto the floor. He felt so incredibly awkward that he lost all logical trains of thought. "What are you doing?"

"I'm listening."

_Katara's version of kissing seems to involve a lot of listening_, Zuko thought, then frowned. _Wait..._ His mind swam a little, drunk on both the liquor and the attention he was receiving. Gentle touches and soft words had replaced the waterbender's usual violence and volume. It left the Prince at quite a happy loss. He felt her fingers hold his wrists down loosely while her tongue massaged his neck. It sent electrical sparks all the way down his body until his toes curled. One of her legs pressed in between his.

Why? Why was she touching him? He was a scarred prince that she wanted nothing to do with. He was scarcely good enough for her to use to pleasure herself! She couldn't be enjoying reciprocating, and he didn't want her to do anything that she didn't want to.

"Katara, you don't need to prove anything." Zuko stammered. "I just want to please you! I just want to earn your trust and your respect."

"Why?" her tongue traced delicately over the scarred shell of his left ear. It made the Fire Prince cringe. She must find his scars repulsing.

"Because I want to."

"Zuko." She rocked her hips forward once, rubbing them into his growing erection. Underneath her, she felt his breath hitch, his chest rising and falling erratically. It was a warning to him, not to be silly or stupid.

"Do you want all my dignity? Fine. I want you to trust me because I like you. I like you a lot." He raised his chest up, pressing his lips to hers but not initiating a kiss. "I like our arrangement. I like being your prisoner."

"Enlightening, but," Katara tried to ignore the words, but they stuck to her like an elbowleech, he liked her. _He liked her._ "I meant, why would you rather give pleasure than receive it?"

"Like I said before, I like to feel wanted."

Karara's only answer was to press him back down to the stone with a lazy kiss, swinging her leg over his hips as she maneuvered him. She tasted the wine in his mouth, and noticed the way his tongue dragged under it's influence, but didn't mind. Maybe he had needed the courage it offered to talk. It seemed to her like he had it backwards, but, who was she to judge? He wanted to be wanted? He wanted her, she wanted him, she could leave it at that. When it rained it poured, and she was about to bend in a monsoon season.

She felt his hands dance over her hips, then across her back, and felt absolutely no worry. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her, so it was counterproductive to restrain him. She broke the kiss and pressed her cheek to his, marveling at the strange texture of his scar across her face. Tucking her tailbone, she rolled backwards and straddled his thighs. He followed, sitting up and flattening his palms against the floor behind him. Katara raised her arms up over her head, drawing her loose hair off of her back and shoulders. It was a silent invitation, one that seemed to be lost on the Prince. That was easily remedied.

"Take off my top, Zuko." Katara instructed, arching her back a little for emphasis.

"Katara, I... are you sure?" She had never invited him to remove an article of clothing before. Even when they played, she remained fully clothed. It was both a show of power and of practicality. It got quite cold up in the windy air temple, and Katara had no inner fire to keep her warm. As far as a showing of power, there was a certain amount of vulnerability attached to stripping in front of another. Zuko was used to being the one to lose his shirt first, and usually the only one.

"I wouldn't have told you to if I wasn't." A slight taint of impatience had seasoned her words, as though she wanted him to do it quickly, before she thought better of it.

The Fire Prince didn't question further, he ran his fingers up the taut muscles of her upper abdomen; he assumed they were clenched because she was nervous. He let his fingers slide under the hem of both her chemise and under wrap and stroked the sensitive skin below her nipples. Her knees squeezed more tightly around him, and her lips parted.

With a growing sense of urgency, Zuko pulled at the knot under her right breast, and with a small tug, the fabric unwound itself down her stomach, and Katara happily slipped it's one strap off her shoulder. Another jerk and her bindings fell away spooling around her waist.

She folded into him then, her breasts hot against his air cooled chest. Her teeth sunk into his neck, grazing across his sensitized skin. Tilting and untilting her pelvis, Katara ground her hips against him with precision only a dancer or waterbender could possess. Looking down, Zuko could see down the expanse of her back; could see her shoulder blades wing out every time her arms moved, adjusting her hands where they cupped his neck. He could see the way her butt moved as her hips continued their slow circular gyration. The entire way she carried herself had changed, her demeanor was gentile, her attitude not even remotely hostile.

It felt like a spell, one he was scared to break. Between buzzed feeling of the wine and the drunkness he felt from her attentions, he had himself half convinced it was all a dream. He wouldn't have been surprised if he woke the next morning alone and untouched.

As she explored, she took his hands into her own, then pressed his palms to her chest. Zuko felt the supple weight in his fingers and obediently began to massage them. Soft dark lips were pushed flush against his ear so he didn't miss a single gasp or whispered command. The delicate whimpers were driving him mad with anticipation. He wanted those whimpers to melt into screams, screams that reconstructed themselves into his name.

Even though he knew he shouldn't without permission, Zuko folded his legs underneath him and scooped her up. Behind him, her ankles locked together as unfaltering as the manacles he had grown accustomed to. He felt caged; constricted; engulfed. He loved it.

"What are you doing?" Her arms had wrapped around his neck and she pressed them into his shoulders for support.

This might be one of their only chances to be in an actual bed together, and Zuko wasn't going to miss it. He let her go, and the waterbender fell back into the sheets, suddenly robbed of her support system. He gazed down at her noticing that the scrutiny was making her blush, though she stared back defiantly, refusing to cover herself. She wanted him to know that she wasn't giving him the power of making her feel modest.

Katara felt her heart pounding in her chest the way it did when she pushed herself too hard during a workout and her body threatened to faint. The mattress was lumpy underneath her, but it was a mattress, the sheets were fraying and speckled with holes, but they were sheets. The pillows were squashed and saggy, but they were pillows Reaching up, she caught the back of his head and pulled him down on top of her, relishing the sudden compression of her chest under the new weight. He'd never been on top of her before, and she decided she liked it. Once again, she wrapped her legs around him and drowned herself in the pleasure his mouth and fingertips were providing.

"Zuko."

The Firebender looked down and saw the woman beneath him fumbling with her pants, trying to pull them off. He shifted back off of her, and seized the hem himself, tugging them down her waist so forcefully that he noticed her wince. Even if it hurt, she lifted her hips off the bed for him, and he slid the fabric down her thighs. The brown cropped pants soon joined the rest of her clothes piled on the floor.

He wanted to shed his own pants, the loose fit was rapidly becoming tight, but, didn't dare presume that he would be on the receiving end of any of the night's activities. He didn't want to jump into something more intimate than she was ready for. Instead he tried his best to memorize the woman in front of him, and stored the exotic textures and tastes in the back of his mind to relive later, when he had a few minutes to himself.

The waterbender didn't really have an agenda. She had sought him out for reasons less to do with domination, and more to do with companionship. Pressing on one of his shoulders, she make him yield the top. Once again she settled herself astride his hips, her hair cascading softly down to tickle his stomach. Almost out of habit, he reached his arms up over his head and crossed his wrists, and Katara had to chase after them and replace them on her torso.

The Fire Prince sat up, a position a lot more difficult for his abs on the squishy mattress than it had been on the hard floor. Katara bent her head to meet him, and returned his kiss violently, a display that must have hurt her already swollen lips. Awkwardly, she guided his hand down her stomach to the waistband of her underpants. Pulling back for a second, his eyes caught hers and he knew what she wanted. Slowly, half scared that she would have one of her mood swings and storm out of the room (or worse) he maneuvered his fingers to cup her beneath the fabric. It was a bad angle, but he doubted Katara knew much about positions and angles.

Tossing her head back, and hair by extension, the younger girl ground herself against him. Zuko endured three repetitions of this before he pulled his hand out and shook his slightly crushed fingers.

"Zuko, what is it?"

He slid his fingers under her knee and guided her off him, she resisted at first being pressed down into the mattress. It wasn't so much the actual gesture but the principal of the thing.

"Hey, answer me!"

"If you want me to touch you," he muttered into her neck as he slid the water tribe underpants down her hips, "you'll have to agree to a position that isn't going to break my fingers."

"Break your fingers." Katara scoffed at the ceiling, it was a total exaggeration. "I'll break your fingers if you want me to." She felt the fabric slide from her calves and then vanish to the abyss that was anywhere not on the bed. The mattress shifted under the Prince's weight, and he was hovering over her again, suspended on arms and thighs.

"No, thank you." He leaned down and rubbed his nose and scarred cheek across her neck, nuzzling her affectionately.

Katara was about to remark on the lack of smoothness in the way he carried on conversations when she felt his fingers ghost across her thigh. Suddenly, eloquence was no longer important. She opened her knees, and let him explore.

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**Yeah, I know, I know, but it's getting long, and this is a good place to stop.**

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**So, as many of you know, one of my Avatar the Last Airbender fanfics, Midsummer Madness was nominated for a UFO award. If you enjoyed it, or my writing in general, please go vote, it starts March 1****st****, (2010). It would be much appreciated!**

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**Review for more sexy-ninja-love!!**


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